
■«r 






58th Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j Document 

M Session. j . ■- ( No. 744. 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

D. E. SALMON, D. V. M., Chief of BureaM 



SPECIAL REPORT 



ON 



DISEASES OF CATTLE 



BY 



Drs, PEARSON, MURRAY, ATKINSON, LOWE, HARBAUGH, LAW, DICKSON, 
MOHLER, TRUM BOWER, SALMON, SMITH, AND STILES. 



REVISED EDITION. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1904. 



58th Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j Document 
- ~ ■ ^ 1 No. 744. 



2d Sessw7i. ) 



^JS 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

D. E. SALMON, D. V. M., Chief of Bureau. 



SPECIAL REPORT 



DISEASES OF CATTLE, 



Drs. PEARSON, MURRAY, ATKINSON, LOWE, HARBAUGH, LAW, DICKSON, 
MOHLER, TRUMBOWER, SALMON, SMITH, AND STILES. 



REVISED EDITION. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1904. 



.4 



'h 



^ 







ft 






LETFER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

Bureau of Animal Industry, 

Washington, D. C, 3Iay 0, 190 J^. 
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript of a 
revised edition of the Special Report on Diseases of Cattle in accord- 
ance with the following resolution, approved April 28, 1904: 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled. That there be printed and bound in cloth fifty 
thousand copies of the Special Report on the Diseases of Cattle, with accompany- 
ing illustrations, the same to be first revised and brought to date, under the super- 
vision of the Secretary of Agriculture, thirty thousand for the use of the House 
of Representatives, fifteen thoiisand for the use of the Senate, and five thousand 
for the use of the Department of Agriculture, 

Since this volume was first issued several editions have been pub- 
lished by order of Congress, thus showing its great popularit3\ This 
report has been prei)ared, as was stated in transmitting the manu- 
script of the first edition, for the farmer and stock owner rather than 
for the student or veterinarian. As much practical information as 
possible has been brought together on the subjects treated, but it has 
been stated in brief and plain language. Readers who desire a more 
detailed account of any subject discussed herein are referred to the 
various special treatises. Notwithstanding the x)opular chara.cter of 
this work, there is no doubt that it will be found useful to the veteri- 
narian as well as to the farmer. 

Very respectfully, D. E. Salmon, 

Chief of Bureau of Animal Industry. 

Hon. James Wilson, 

Secretary of Agriculture. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Administration of medicines: Page. 

By Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D 9 

Diseases of the digestive organs: 

By A. J. Murray, M. R. C. V. S 14 

Poisons and jwisoning: 

By V. T. Atkinson, V. S : 53 

Diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics: 

By Leonard Pearson, B. S. , V. M. D 70 

No)iconfagious diseases of the organs of respiration: 

By Dr. William Herbert Lowe 85 

Diseases of the nervo^is system: 

By W. H. Harbaugh, V. S 99 

Diseases of the urinary organs: 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S 111 

Diseases of the generative organs: 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S__. 144 

Diseases folloicing parturition : 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S 210 

Diseases of young calves: 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S 244 

Bones: Diseases and accidents: 

By V. T. Atkinson, V. S 261 

S 1 1 rg ica I ope rations : 

By William Dickson 285 

Tumors affecting cattle: 

By John R, Mohler, A. M., V. M. D 304 

D seases of the skin: 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S 320 

Diseases of the foot: 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S 335 

Diseases of the eye and its appendages: 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S 340 

Diseases of the ear: 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S 354 

Infectious diseases of cattle: 

By D. E. Salmon, D. V. M., and Dr. Theobald Smith. 357 

The animal parasites of cattle: 

By Ch. Wardell Stiles, A. M., M. S., Ph. D 473 

Mycotic stomatitis in cattle: 

By John R. Mohler, A. M., V. M. D . 495 

5 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PLATES. 
J Page. 

Plate I. Showing the position of the rumen .-. 52 

II. Stomach of ruminant 52 

- III. Instruments . - 52 

• IV. Microscopic anatomy of the liver - - . 52 

• V. Ergot in hay 52 

-' YI. Ergotism 52 

" \r[I. Diagram of the circulation --- 84 

"Till. Showing the position of the lung 98 

• IX. Kidney and generative organs 142 

■ X. Microscopic anatomy of tlie kidney 142 

XI. Calculi of kidney and bladder 142 

- XII. Fetal calf within its membranes 208 

XIII. Pregnant uterus with cotyledons 208 

XIV. Vessels of umbilical cord 208 

"XV. Normal position of calf in utero 208 

■XVI. Abnormal position of calf in utero 208 

' XVII. Abnormal position of calf in utero 208 

• XVIII. Abnormal position of calf in utero; surgical instruments and 

sutures 208 

' XIX. Monstrosities 208 

- XX. Instriunents used in difficult labor 208 

-XXI. Instruments used in difficult labor 208 

' XXII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 243 

'XXIII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 243 

V XXIV. Instruments 243 

^ XXV. Skeleton of the cow 284 

• XXVI. Devices for casting cattle 302 

• XXVII. Tracheotomy and venesection 302 

■ XXVIII. Surgical instruments and sutures . - 302 

'XXIX. Various bacteria which produce disease in cattle 364 

XXX. Upper, or dorsal, surface of the lungs of the ox 376 

XXXI. Broncho-pneiimonia 376 

XXXII. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 376 

XXXIII. Contagious pleuro-pneiimonia 376 

XXXIV. Portions of tuberculous lungs from cattle 424 

XXXV. Tuberculous liver from cow 424 

XXXVI. Tuberculous lymphatic gland 424 

XXXVII. Tiiberculosis of the omentum (caul) . 424 

XXXVIII. Tuberculosis of the lymphatic gland and omentum (caul) 424 

XXXIX. Fig. 1. — Tuberculosis of the sirloin and porterhoiise cvits of 
beef. Fig. 2.— Tuberculosis of pleura of cow, so-called pearly 

disease 424 

7 



8 



LIST OF ILLUSTKATIONS. 



Page. 

Plate XL. Tuberculous udder of cow 434 

' XLI. Actinomycosis .-. 436 

■ XLII. Actinomycosis cf tlie lungs 436 

■ XLIII. Actinomycosis of the jaw 436 

XLIV. Section of muscle from a blackleg swelling 448 

XLV. Necrotic stomatitis (calf diphtheria) 448 

XL VI. Fig. 1. — Spleen in Texas fever. Fig. 2. — Normal spleen 468 

XLVII. Texas fever 468 

XLVIII. The cattle tick— the carrier of Texas fever 468 

- XLIX. Portions of a steer's hide showing the Texas fever tick (BoopJii- 

lus annulatus) of the United States 468 

' L. Figs. 1 and ^. — Dorsal and ventral \'iews of male Texas fever 
tick {Boopliilus annulatus) . Figs. 3 and 4. — Dorsal and ven- 
tral views of replete female Texas fever tick {B. annulatus) _ 
LI. Boundary line of the district infected witli Texas, or Southern 

cattle, fever 468 

LII. Verminous bronchitis -.- 492 

TEXT FIGURES. 

A drenching tube 474 

Piece of fourth stomach with encysted stomach worms 484 

Twisted wireworms (male and female) of the fourth stomach 484 

Conical amphistomes in rumen 485 

Portions of an adult tapeworm {Moniezia planissima) from cattle. 487 

Portion of hog's liver infested with Echinococcus hydatid 488 

The thin-necked bladder worm {Cysticercus tenuicollis) 489 

The common liver fluke {Fasciola hepatica) - 489 

The large American fluke (Fasciola magna) 489 

Portion of grass stalk with three encapsuled cercariae of the com- 
mon liver fluke {-Fasciola hepatica) _ 490 

Isolated male and female threadworms {Metastrongylus micrurus) - 492 

Section of a beef tongue heavily infested with beef measles 493 



Fig. 1. 
2. 
8. 
4. 
5. 
6. 



9. 
10. 

11. 
12. 



SPECIAL REPORT 

ON 

DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES. 

By Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D., 

Dean of the Veterinary Dei^artment, University of Pennsylvania, and State 

Veterinarian of Pennsylvania. 

Medicines may be administered to cattle in many ways. The chan- 
nel and method of administration depend on whether a general or local 
effect is desired, the condition of the animal, and the nature of the med- 
icine that is to be given. It is the easiest method, and therefore cus- 
tomary, to give ordinary remedies by the mouth, either with the food, 
or with drink, or separately. There are, however, some conditions in 
which medicines administered in this way ,will not act promptly 
enough, or wherein a desired effect of the medicine on a distant part 
of the body is wholly lacking, unless it is applied in some other way. 

The various methods of administering medicines to cattle will be 
considered below. 

By the mouth. — The simplest way to give medicines by the mouth 
is to mix them with the food or water. This can be done when the 
medicine is in the form of a powder or fluid, if but a small quantity 
is to be given, if it does not have a taste that is disagreeable to the 
animal and is not so irritant as to injure the lining membranes of the 
mouth and throat. 

The usual method of administering bulky or unpalatable doses is to 
mix them with a fluid vehicle, such as water, milk, molasses, or beer, and 
give from a bottle. A dose given in this way is known as a "drench." 
In administering a drench the head of the animal should be elevated 
a little by an assistant. This is best accomplished when standing on 
the left side of the cow's head and hy grasping the nose with the thumb 
and fingers of the right hand inserted in the nostrils; with the left 
hand beneath the chin the head is further raised and supported. If 
the animal is unruly, it may be tied in a stall or placed in a stanchion. 



10 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

The medicine can now be poured into the mouth by inserting the neck 
of the bottle between the lips on the right side. Care must be taken 
to avoid getting the bottle between the back teeth. The mouth of the 
bottle should be inserted as far as the middle of the tongue and the 
contents poured slowlj'. If the cow coughs, the head must at once 
be lowered to permit the fluid to escape from the larynx. If one per- 
sists in giving medicine during coughing, some of the dose may pass 
down the windpipe to the lungs and cause a severe or a fatal pneu- 
monia. This accident is especially to be guarded against when the 
throat is partly paralyzed or insensitive, as in parturient paresis (milk 
fever). In this disease it has often happened that drenches have been 
poured into the lungs, thus killing the cow. 

The amount of fluid to be given in a drench depends upon the effect 
that is sought and the nature of the medicine. In impactions of the 
stomach very large quantities of fluid may be given — as much as a 
gallon or several gallons at a time. Usually, however, it is not cus- 
tomary or desirable to give more than from 1 to 2 quarts at a dose, 
and not more than a pint unless it be necessary on account of the 
irritant quality of the drug that has to be shielded with a large quan- 
tity of the vehicle. 

Medicines that are soluble should be completely dissolved before 
they are given. Insoluble medicines should be finely divided by 
j)Owdering or by shaking, and should be well agitated and mixed 
immediately before they are given. In the latter case a menstruum 
with considerable bod}^ such as molasses or flaxseed tea or milk, will 
help to hold solids or oils in suspension until swallowed. 

Balls are large pills adapted for the larger animals. Powders or 
gums are sometimes mixed with an adhesive substance and rolled 
into balls for the purpose of convenience of administration. Balls 
are not so much used and are not so well adapted to the medica- 
tion of cattle as of horses. The process of solution is slower in the 
paunch of a cow than in the stomach of a horse; and if the cow is so 
sick as to have stopped ruminating, a ball may become covered up 
and lost in the mass of material in the paunch and so lie for daj's, 
producing no effect whatever. 

CapHiiles are shells or envelopes made of soluble gelatine in which 
j)owders or liquids maj' be inclosed. Capsules and balls are adminis- 
tered by being placed on the tongue well back in the mouth while 
the tongue is drawn forward and the mouth is held open by a block 
of wood between the back teeth. The ball- should be dropped, the 
tongue released, and the block removed as nearlj' simultaneousl}' as 
possible, so that the backward carriage of the tongue will throw the 
ball into the throat and Iciid to its being swallowed. Care must be 
taken to avoid having the hand cut or crushed while introducing the 
ball. After a little experience it is possible to do awaj' with the block 
of wood between the teeth for keeping the mouth open. 



ADMINISTEATION OF MEDICINES. 11 

By the stomach. — Medicines are introduced directly into the first 
stom.ach by tlie use of an esophageal tube or through the canula of a 
trochar passed into the paunch through the side. This method is 
used in the treatment of diseases of digestion. 

By the rectum. — Medicines are usually administered bj^ the rec- 
tum for the purpose of controlling the bowels and for the treatment 
of local diseases. Sometimes, however, medicines that have a gen- 
eral effect are given in this waj' when, for any reason, it is not possi- 
ble or convenient to give them through the mouth. Only drugs that 
are readily absorbed sliould be given per rectum for a general effect 
and in somewhat larger dose or more frequently than when given by 
the mouth. Such stimulants as ether, alcohol, or the aromatic spirits 
of ammonia, diluted with from four to six times their bulk of warm 
ivaier, may be used in this way. 

Rectal injections, or enemata, are used in the treatment of consti- 
pation. If it is the i)urpose of the injection to soften hardened fecal 
masses, the water should be comfortably warm and it may have a 
little clean soap in it. If it is the purpose of the injection to stimu- 
late sluggish bowels to contraction, the water may be cold. 

In giving rectal injections a rectal syringe may be used, or, better, 
a piece of one-half to three-quarter inch rubber hose 5 feet long with 
a tin funnel attached to one end. The hose is soaped or oiled and 
introduced slowlj^' and gently into the rectum 2 or 3 feet. The fluid 
is then slowh^ poured into the funnel and allowed to gravitate into 
the rectum. The same apparatus may be used for feeding by the 
rectum. 

By the vagina. — Medicines are inserted into the vagina, and 
through the vagina into the womb, in a manner similar to that of 
rectal administration. Most of the medication made use of in this 
waj^ is for the local treatment of these organs. Following calving, 
during outbreaks of abortion, and in an infectious disease of the 
vagina, such injections become necessary. 

By the udder. — Injections into the udder are now regularly made 
in the treatment of parturient paresis (milk fever). For this purpose 
a 1 j)er cent solution of iodide of potash is commonly employed, 
although some other solutions and oxygen gas are also used. In mak- 
ing this injection there are so many precautions necessary in relation 
to the sterilization of the apparatus and the teats and skin that this 
work should be left in the hands of a skilled veterinarian. The result 
of tiie introduction of even a minute quantity of infectious dirt may 
be the loss of the udder. For making this injection one maj" use one 
of the prepared sets of apparatus or a milking tube and funnel con- 
nected by a piece of small rubber hose. The ai)paratus should be 
boiled and wrapped in a clean towel until needed. The udder and 
teats and the hands of the operator must be well disinfected, and 
the solution must be freshly made with recently boiled water kejit 



1'2 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

in a sterile bottle. The udder should be emptied of milk before the 
injection is made. After all these precautions have been observed 
the milking tube may be inserted and througli it one-half pint of solu- 
tion introduced by gravity air pressure or by syringe. There is i)rac- 
tically no danger in this mode of treatment if it is properly carried out. 

Injections into the udder are sometimes made in the treatment of 
garget, but so far with indifferent success. 

By the nostrils. — An animal may be caused to inhale medicine 
in the form of gas or vapor or to snuff up a fine powder. Sometimes, 
for the purpose of local treatment, fluids are injected into the nose. 

A medicine inhaled may have a local effect alone or a general effect. 

Medicated steam, carrying the volatile products of creolin, carbolic 
acid, balsam of Peru, compound tincture of benzoin, tincture of 
iodine, etc. , may be liberated beneath the nostrils of a cow so that 
she must inhale these soothing vapors; but such treatment is not so 
common for cattle as for horses. In producing general anesthesia, or 
insensibility to pain, the vapor of chloroform or ether is administered 
by the nostrils. As a preliminary to this it is necessary to cast and 
confine the animal. Great care is necessary to avoid complete stop- 
page of the heart or breathing. 

By the trachea. — Medicines are injected into the trachea, or 
windpipe, in the treatment of some forms of diseases of the lungs, 
and especiall}^ in that form of bronchitis or pneumonia that is caused 
by lungworms. For this injection a large hypodermic syringe is used 
that is fitted with a very thick, strong needle. The needle is to be 
inserted about the middle of the neck and between the cartilaginous 
rings of the trachea. 

By the skin. — Although a number of drugs, notably mercurj^, are 
so readily absorbed by the skin of cattle as to render poisoning easy, 
medicines are not given in this way for their general or constitutional, 
but only for their local effect. 

Diseases of the skin and superficial parasites are treated or 
destroj'ed by applications in the forms of washes, ointments, di^DS, 
and powders. Liniments and lotions are applied to the skin for the 
relief of some near-lying part, such as a muscle, tendon, or joint. 
])listers are applied to the skin for the purpose of obtaining the effect 
of counterirritation upon a neighboring region or organ. Cold water 
may be applied to the skin to reduce the temperature and to diminish 
congestion or inflammation in a superficial area or to reduce the tem- 
perature of the whole body. High fever and heat strokes are treated 
in this way. 

By the tissue beneath the skin. — Hypodermic or subcutaneous 
injections are often made for the purpose of introducing a drug, 
reagent, or vaccine directly into the connecting tissue beneath the 
skin. Introduced in this v,'i\y, the substance is quickly absorbed. 



ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES. 13 

none of it is lost, and its whole effect is obtained, often within a few 
minutes. 

There are numerous precautions necessary in making a subcutane- 
ous injection, most of which have to do with cleansing and steriliza- 
tion. It is also important to select a proi)er site for the injection, so 
that blood vessels, joints, and superficial nerves, organs, or cavities 
may all be avoided. With due regard for the necessary precautions, 
there is practically no danger in such an injection, but it should be 
attempted only by those Avho are able to carry it through in a surgi- 
cally clean way. Only certain drugs can be given subcutaneously, 
and dosage must be accurately' graduated. 

By the veins. — Certain medicines act most promptly and surely 
when introduced directly into the blood by injecting them into a vein. 
The jugular vein is usually selected for this purpose. Some vaccines 
and antitoxins are administered in this way. Intravenous injection 
should be practiced only by experienced veterinarians. 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 

By A. J. Murray, M. R. C. V. S. 

[Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., Y. M. D.] 
CHARACTER OF FOODS AND FEEDING. 

Diseases of the digestive organs are very common among cattle, and 
may often be traced to defects in feeding. The first three stomachs 
of the larger ruminants hold the food for a long time while it is being 
softened and reground to prepare it^for the fourth, or true, stomach. 
If the food is of improper character, or is so given that it can not be 
cared for by the animal in a normal way, false fermentations arise, 
causing indigestion and, later, organic disease. In feeding cattle there 
are a number of important considerations apart from the economy of 
the ration, and some of these are noted below. 

Foods must not be damaged bj^ exposure to the weather, hy frost, 
by molds, or by deleterious fermentations. 

Damaged foods retard or jirevent digestion, and sometimes they 
contain or cause to be generated substances that irritate the digestive 
tract or are distinctly poisonous to the animal. For example, hay 
that was rained on severely during curing has not only lost a pavt of 
its nutritive value through a washing-out i)rocess, but what remains 
is not so readily available as in good hay. Roots that have been 
frozen are likely to irritate and injure the digestive tract. Grass 
eaten with the frost on it may cause severe indigestion. Moldy foods 
are not all injurious, for some molds appear to have no influence on 
the process of digestion, but molds of other species maj' not only 
retard digestion and cause local injur}^ to the digestive organs, but 
they may also cause general poisoning of a severe or fatal type. 

The following molds have been shown (Dammann) to be dangerous 
in respect of the production of the morbid conditions enumerated : 

TiUeiia caries grows chiefly in wheat, and may be found with the 
grain thus appearing in the bran or meal. It causes paralj'sis of the 
throat and spinal cord and irritation of the digestive tract. The 
rusts, such as Puccinia graminis, P. straminis, P. coronafa, and P. 
arimdinacea, cause colic and diarrhea, and in some cases partial 
paralj'sis of the throat. Tlie rusts that occur on clovers, beans, and 
peas cause very severe irritation of the lining membrane of the mouth 
and throat, resulting sometimes in gangrene of this tissue. 

Polydesmvs excUans grows on the leaves of rape and turnips, 
14 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 15 

appearing in early summer. This fungus is very irritating to the 
mouths and feet of cattle, causing severe inflammation and the for- 
mation of a false membrane. In some instances this condition has 
been mistaken for foot-and-mouth disease, but it can be differentiated 
by the absence of the blister that is characteristic of foot-and-mouth 
disease and by the further fact that it is nontransmissible. 

Polytrincium trifolii, which grows on clover, causing it to become 
black, causes severe irritation of the stomach and intestines of cattle 
feeding upon it. 

Foods must not contain too large a proportion of woody fiber or 
indigestible substances. If the dry matter ingested or the bulk of 
the food must be very great on account of the small proportion of 
digestible inatter, it is impossible for the great mass to be properly 
moistened with and attacked by the digestive juices. In consequence 
of this, abnormal fermentations arise that cause indigestion and irri- 
tation of the digestive organs. On the other hand, a ration too con- 
centrated, and especially too rich in protein, is not suitable, because 
the animal must have, after a meal, a certain feeling of fullness in 
order to be comfortable and quiet, and the digestive organs require a 
relatively large volume of contents to fill them to the point where 
secretion is properly stimulated and their activity is most efficient. 
If too much protein is in the ration there is a waste of expensive food, 
and the tendency is for the animal to become thin. It is evident that 
a cow can not thrive on concentrated foods alone, even though these 
contain in assimilable form all of the nutritive materials needed for 
perfect support. It is because bulk is necessarj^ that the standard of 
about 25 pounds of drj' matter per cow per day has been reached by 
experimentalists. There is no objection to feeding grain or meal 
separately to a cow, ]3rovided enough bulky food be fed at another 
time in the day to keep the digestive tract sufficiently distended. 

In changing the ration, and especially in making radical changes, 
as at the beginning and end of the pasturing season, the change should 
be made gradually, so that the digestive organs may accommodate 
themselves to it. After the digestive organs and juices have from 
long practice become adjusted to the digestion of a certain food, which 
is then suddenly withheld and another of quite different character 
and properties is substituted, the second food is not well digested; it 
may even irritate the digestive canal. It is often observed that cattle 
lose from 25 to 100 pounds when turned onto pasture from dry stable 
food. This loss can readilj^ be prevented by avoiding the shock to 
the digestive organs of a sudden change of diet. 

Regularitj^ in feeding has much to do with the utilization of the 
ration, and gross irregularity may cause indigestion and serious 
disease. 

Water for live stock should be as free from contamination and as 
pure as that used for household purposes. In the winter it is well to 



16 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

warm the water to about 50° F. It is well to allow cattle to drink 
often. 

DISEASES OP THE MOUTH. 
WOUNDS AND CONTUSIONS OF THE LIPS, AND SNAKE BITE. 

The lips may become inflamed from contusions, which are some- 
times produced by a blow from the horns of another animal, or, in the 
case of working oxen, bj^ a blow from the driver. While cattle are 
grazing they are sometimes bitten in the lips by serpents, more 
especially when they are pastured in woods. 

Synqjfoms. — As a result of a contusion the lips become thick and 
swollen, and if treatment is neglected the swelling maj^ become hard 
and indurated, or an abscess may form. This condition renders it 
difficult for the animal to get food into its mouth, on account of the 
lips having lost their natural flexibility. In such cases an ox will use 
his tongue more in the prehension of food to make up for the inca- 
pacity of the lips. In cases of snake bite the swelling is soft or puify 
and its limits are not well defined. 

Treatment. — When we have to deal with a bruise, the affected part 
should be bathed with hot water two or three times daily. In recent 
cases no other treatment will be required, but if the swelling is not 
recent and has become hard or indurated, then the swollen part 
should be treated each day hy painting it with tincture of iodine. In 
snake bite a straight incision penetrating into the flesh or muscle 
should be made across the center of the swelling and in the direction 
of the long axis of the face. After this has been done a small wad of 
cotton batting should be pressed against the wounds until the bleed- 
ing has almost stopped. Afterwards the following lotion may be 
applied to the wounds several times a day : Permanganate of potash, 
half a dram; distilled water, 1 pint. As snake bites are usually 
attended with considerable depression, which may terminate in stu- 
por, it is advisable to give doses of whisky at intervals. Half a pint 
of whisky mixed with a pint of water should be given, and the dose 
should be repeated in half an hour if the animal is sinking into a 
stupefied and unconscious condition. The repetition of the dose 
must depend on the s^'mj^toms which the animal shows. It must be 
borne in mind that the object of treatment is to ward off the stupor, 
which is one of the results of snake bite, and that in administering 
whisky the object is to produce a stimulating and not an intoxicating 
or stupefying effect. 

SALIVATION. 

Salivation is a sj-mptom of some general or local disorder. It may 
be a symi^tom of a general disease, such as rabies or the foot-and- 
mouth disease, or it may be a purely local trouble, as when copious 
secretion of the salivary glands is produced by the eating of irritat- 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 17 

ing plants, such as wild mustard. In cases whore saliva is observed 
to dribble from the mouth, that part must be carefully examined by 
introducing an instrument like a balling-iron into the mouth, or, if 
such an instrument is not at hand, by grasping the tongue and par- 
tially withdrawing it from the mouth, and by placing a block of 
Avood between the back teeth, while all parts of the mouth are exposed 
to a good light, so that the i^resence of any foreign substance may be 
detected. The cause will sometimes be found to depend on a short 
piece of wood becoming fixed on the palate, its two ends resting on 
the upper molar teeth of each side; or it may depend on a needle, 
thorn, or splinter of wood becoming embedded in the tongue. Some- 
times a sharp piece of tin or other metal may become partiallj" em- 
bedded in the inner surface of the cheek. Hay occasionally possesses 
some quality, usually dependent upon its having heated in the mow 
or having become moldy, which produces salivation. Some irritant 
weeds in the pasture or forage may caiise salivation. Cattle rubbed 
Avith mercurial ointment may in licking themselves swallow enough 
mercury to bring about the^ame result. (See "Mercury poisoning," 
p. 59.) Such cases, of course, arise from the constitutional action of 
mercury, and indicate the danger of using such a preparation exter- 
nally on account of the common habit which the animals have of 
licking themselves. Mercury is also readilj^ absorbed through the 
skin, and, as cattle are verj^ susceptible to its action, it is thus easy 
for them to be poisoned bj^ it even without licking it from the surface. 
Treatment. — If salivation depends on the irritation and inflamma- 
tion set up b}' the ingestion of acrid plants, or forage possessing some 
peculiar stimulating property, the food must be changed and a lotion 
composed of an ounce of powdered alum dissolved in a quart of water 
may be syringed into the mouth twice a day, using half a pint of 
the solution each time. If, however, the salivation depends on the 
presence of a thorn, sj)linter of wood, or any other foreign substance 
embedded in the cheek or tongue, remove the offending object and 
wash the mouth occasionally with a weak solution (3 per cent) of car- 
bolic acid and tepid water. AYlien salivation is produced by mercu- 
rial poisoning or by the foot-and-mouth disease, the treatment appro- 
priate to those general conditions of the system, as well as the local 
treatment, must be applied. 

IRREGULARITIES OF THE TEETH, 

Irregularities of the teeth may be occasioned by the unequal wear- 
ing of some of the teeth or by some of the incisors being broken, which 
maj" happen when cattle are pastured on sandy or gravelly soil. The 
molar teeth maj^ also show irregular wear from similar causes, or from 
a disease or malformation of the jaw. Their edges may become sharp, 
or it maj' happen that a molar tooth has been accidentally fractured. 

8267—04 2 



18 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

It may also occur that a superniimeraiy tooth has develoi)ed. in an 
unusual position, and that it interferes with the natural and regular 
mastication of the food. 

Treaiment. — The mouth may be examined hy grasping the animal's 
tongue with one hand and partially withdrawing it from the mouth, 
so as to expose the incisor and molar teeth to inspection, \yhen it is 
desired, however, to examine the molar teeth with the fingers, so as to 
obtain a more precise idea of their condition, an instrument like the 
balling-iron which is used for the horse should be introduced into the 
mouth, so as to separate the jaws and keep them apart while the 
examination is being made. Any sharp edges of the molars must be 
removed by the tooth rasp, such as is used for horses. Anj' sux3er- 
numerary tooth wiiich interferes with mastication or any tooth which 
is fractured or loose should be extracted. In j)erforniing such oper- 
ations it is desirable to throw, or cast, the animal, and to have its head 
held securely, so as to enable the operator to do what is necessary 
without difficulty. 

CAEIKS OF THE TEETH. 

The presence of caries may be suspected if the mouth exhales a bad 
odor and if the animal occasionally stops during mastication as if it 
were in pain. The existence of caries in a molar tooth may be ascer- 
tained by examining the mouth in the manner already described. If 
one of the molars is found to be carious, it should be extracted. 
When the crown of the tooth has been destroyed and only the stump 
or root is left, extraction will be impracticable. In such cases it is 
best to sell the animal to the butcher unless it have special value, in 
which case the root stumps may be removed by a veterinarian \>j the 
operation of trephining. 

ACTINOMYCOSIS OF THE JAWBONES (BIG JAW, OR LUMP JAW). 
[Plate XLi, XLiii.] 

The disease which we have now to consider is generall}" known 
among farmers and cattle dealers under the names of "big jaw" and 
"lumj) jaw." Attention is first directed to the animal by a swelling, 
or enlargement, of the jawbone, and the opinion generally exi)i*essed 
when such a swelling is observed is that the animal has received some 
severe contusion which has been the starting point of the swelling. 
The swelling described maj^ affect either the upper or lower jaw, or it 
may affect botli at the same time, and produce considerable swelling 
of the soft tissues as well as enlargement of the bonj'- structure. The 
swelling is somewhat jjainful under pressure and is attached to the 
bone and the skin. Finally soft areas appear beneath the skin, which 
break, forming ulcers or the openings of fistulous tracts extending 
back into the bone and discharging a yellowish sticky pus, which 
sometimes contains hard j'cllow granules or fragments of bone. As 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 19 

a result of the swelling described, the molar teeth of the upper and 
lower jaws may be pushed out of their natural position so that they 
are no longer in apposition, and they consecxuently can not serve the 
purpose of masticating tlie food. It may also happen that from 
destruction of the tooth sockets the teeth droj) out. As a result of 
ulceration it frequently happens that an opening forms on tlie external 
part of the tumor, and frequently a similar destructive process forms 
an opening into the mouth itself. Ever}^ swelling on the jaw of cattle 
is to be regarded as possibly actinomycotic if a definite cause for it is 
not known. In some cases it will be observed that these swellings, after 
growing for a short time, remain for a time or permanently in a sta- 
tionary condition. The living parasite, by rapidly reproducing itself, 
extends through the bony tissue, and, by setting up inflammation, 
causes increase of the swelling. The aim of treatment, then, is to 
destroy the parasite, thereb}^ arresting the growth of the swelling; 
and this is all that can be done where the utmost success practicable 
is attained. The importance of early treatment will, however, be 
understood when it is remembered that there is a continued and 
rapid multiplication of the parasite, and that this multiplication is 
attended with increasing damage to the tissues of the animal in which 
it is lodged. 

Treatment. — AVheu there is an external opening on the surface of 
the swelling,' it should be injected with tincture of iodine. "When 
there is no external opening, tincture of iodine may be j)ainted on the 
skin. This treatment should be applied daily, and may be continued 
until it is api^arent that the growth of the swelling has been checked. 
The iodine checks the growth of the swelling by destroying the para- 
site, vrhose continuous development is the means of setting up dis- 
eased action in the bone. Internally, iodide of potash should be 
administered in doses of from 2 to 3 drams dailj^, divided into two 
doses, and given morning and evenin^iu a pint of warm water. This 
treatment maj' be continued for two weeks, when it should be discon- 
tinued for ten days, and then repeated if necessary. Other methods 
have been applied in treating this disease, such as burning the dis- 
eased bone with the hot iron, which is said to have proved effectual 
in checking the progress of the disease. 

INFLAMMATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF MOUTH (STOMATITIS). 

The membrane of the mouth may become inflamed by cattle eating 
some irritating substance or plant, or little vesicles may form in the 
mouths of calves when tliej^ are affected with indigestion, constitut- 
ing what is termed aphtha. 

Symptoms. — The saliva dribbles from the mouth, and when the 
mouth is examined the surface of the tongue and other parts will 
appear red and inflamed. When j'oung animals are affected with the 
form of disease termed aphtha, small red elevations will be observed 



20 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

on the tongue and other i^arts of the moutli, having little white points 
on their centers, which consist of the epithelium of the mucous mem- 
brane raised into vesicles. These white patches are succeeded by 
ulcerated surfaces, which are caused by the shedding of the white 
patches of epithelium. 

Treatment. — When there is merely a reddened and inflamed condi- 
tion of the mucous membrane of the moutli, it will suffice to syringe 
it out several times a day with 4 ounces of the following solution: 
Alum, 1 ounce; water, 2 pints. When the edges of the tongue and 
other parts of the mouth are studded with ulcers, these should be 
painted over once a day until the affected surface is healed, with the 
following solution : Permanganate of potash, 20 grains; water, 1 ounce. 
When indigestion is associated with an ulcerated condition of the 
mouth, separate treatment is required. 

ULCERATIVE STOMATITIS (OR ULCERS IN THE MOUTHS OF YOUNG CALVES). 

This affection usually ajjpears in young calves about the time when 
they are cutting their molar teeth. 

Causes. — Insufficient nourishment, the debility resulting from 
diarrhea and from inflammation of the umbilicus (navel), and the irri- 
tation resulting from the cutting of the molar teeth are all predis- 
posing causes of this disease, but the actual cause, no doubt, is an 
infectious principle that is transmitted from calf to calf. This dis- 
ease has many times been described as dii^htheria, but the name is 
misleading and inappropriate, because it is not the same as diphtheria 
of man nor even closely related to it. 

SymxAoms. — In the early stage there is disinclination to feed and 
redness of the mouth, from which the saliva dribbles. In two or 
three days Avhitish points appear on some X)art of the mucous mem- 
brane of the mouth. These gradually extend in size and depth, and 
a red, inflamed zone surrounds each affected area, which finally pre- 
sents a yellowish, cheesy appearance, and then begins to break uj) and 
decompose, exhaling a fetid, disagreeable odor. Sometimes the entire 
thickness of a portion of the tissues composing the cheek becomes 
gangrenous. The decayed part is graduall}' separated from the sur- 
rounding living tissues by the process of ulceration. In this way an 
aperture will sometimes be formed in the animars cheek through which 
the saliva is ejected when it is masticating its food. This disease 
may be complicated by diarrhea, which has an exhausting effect on 
the animal, as is shown by great i^rostration, loss of muscular strength, 
and disinclination to stand. This malady often terminates in death, 
and it runs its course in from seven to ten daj^s. Its duration will 
vary according to the extent to Avhicli the animal is affected. 

Treatment. — The premises must be well cleaned and disinfected. 
Especial attention should be paid to the sterilization of the feeding 
utensils, feed boxes, mangers, etc. The uninfected calves should be 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OKQANS. 21 

isolated. Locally, the mouth may he washed with a solution of per- 
manganate of potash (1 per cent), or with peroxide of hydrogen, 1 
part to 2 parts of water. Follow this with creolin solution (2 per cent), 
or lysol or carbolic acid solution (1 per cent). Finally apply with a 
swab or brush nitrate of silver solution (5 per cent), or the tincture 
of the chloride of iron, 1 part to water 2 parts. Sulphate of quinine 
may be given to calves three times a day in doses varjnng from 5 to 
10 grains, according to the size and age of the animal, and should be 
repeated about four times a day. Half-ounce doses of limewater 
mixed with milk should be given if diarrhea is present. When the 
calf shows signs of debility or diarrhea is present, whisky or brandy 
should be administered several times a day. The stimulant should 
be mixed with 2 or 3 parts of water, and should be repeated three or 
four times a day. The diet should be nutritions, and for calves the 
cow's milk is to be preferred. 

INDURATION OF THE TONGUE (ACTINOMYCOSIS). 

This disease consists in a swollen, hard, inflexible condition of the 
tongue that is sometimes so extreme as to merit the designation 
"wooden tongue." The cause is the fungus of actinomycosis multi- 
plying and growing in the tissues of the tongue. 

Symptoms. — The tongue is stiff and awkward, the animal can not 
nse it readily in grasping food, saliva flows from.tlie mouth, the tongue 
on the upper surface is nodulated unevenly with yellowish swellings 
from the size of a pea to that of a walnut. Some of these swellings 
ulcerate and discharge yellow pus. Beneath the tongue the veins are 
engorged and the tissues liave a bluish appearance. The tongue may 
become so large that it can not be contained within the mouth and 
protrudes constantly. From interference with eating tlie animal 
becomes thin and weak. 

Treatment. — If the case is extreme, it is most economical to destroy 
the animal. If the disease is in the earlier stages, iodide of potash 
may be used as advised in the treatment of actinomycosis of the jaw, 
or "lump jaw." Besides this, the tongue should be painted once or 
twice daily with tincture of iodine, and the animal must be fed soft 
sloj)s. 

DISEASES OF THE PHARYNX AND GULLET. 
PHARYNGITIS (SORE THROAT). 

This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the pharynx. 
It is frequently associated with inflammatory diseases of the respira- 
tory tract, such as laryngitis and bronchitis or pleuris5^ 

Symptoms. — The muzzle is dry and the saliva dribbles from the cor- 
ners of the mouth; the animal either does not swallow or swallows with 
difficulty, and holds its neck in a stiff, straight position, moving it as 
little as possible. The eyelids are half closed, the white of the eye is 



22 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

bloodshot, aud the animal occasioiialh- grinds its teeth. After masti- 
cating the food the animal drops it out of its mouth as if to avoid the 
X)ain of swallowing, and also evinces pain when pressure is applied on 
the pharynx externally and tries to prevent such jjressure being 
applied. 

Causes. — Pharyngitis may be produced b}' a sudden cooling of the 
surface of the body, as when cattle are exposed to a cold wind or a 
cold rain; or bj' swallowing irritant substiinces. 

Treatment. — The throat should be syringed three times a day with 
an ounce of the following solution: Nitrate of silver, 11 drams; dis- 
tilled water, 1 jjint. Bland and soothing drinks, such as linseed tea 
or oatmeal and water, should occasionally be offered. Diet should 
consist of soft food, such as bran mashes with a little linseed meal 
mixed in them. The upper part of the throat and the space between 
the jaws should be well rubbed once a day with the following liniment: 
Liquor ammonia fortior, 4 ounces; oil of turjoentine, 4 ounces; olive 
oil, 4 ounces; mix. Under tlie above treatment the inflammation of 
the throat Avill gradually subside and the animal will be able to swal- 
low as usual in five or six daj^s. We need hardly saj' that during its 
treatment the sick animal should be kept in a comfortable stable. 

PAROTITIS. 

Inflammation of the parotid gland may arise from the inflammation 
extending to it when an ox is affected with pharyngitis or laiyngitis, 
or the inflammation may commence in the salivarj^ ducts and may 
depend on some influence the nature of which is unknown. Parotitis 
sometimes arises from a blow or contusion which is severe enough to 
set up inflammation in the structure of the gland. Tuberculosis and 
actinomycosis are sometimes characterized b}- the lodgment of their 
parasitic causes in the parotid glands, in ^vhich case parotitis may be 
a sjnnptom of either of these diseases. 

Symptoms. — There is an elongated painful swelling, beginning at 
the base of the ear and j)assing downward along the posterior margin 
of the lower jaw. The swelling is sometimes limited to one side, and 
when both sides are swollen it is generally largei- on one side than on 
the other. The secretion of saliva is increased, the apiDctite is poor, 
the neck is stiff, so that it is painful to raise the head, and food is 
swallowed with diiricult3\ In many cases the swelling of those glands, 
when submitted to proper treatment, disappears in a comparativelj'' 
short time. In other cases, however, the gland remains enlarged, 
even after the animal recovers its ai^petite. In tuberculosis, lym- 
phatic glands beneath the parotid glands are sometimes enlarged, thus 
causing the apj)earance of enlarged i^arotid glands. 

Treatment. — A warm bran poultice, made by mixing bran with a 
hot 2 per cent solution of ci'colin, should be applied on the swollen 
gland, aud whenever the ijoultice has cooled it should be replaced bj^ 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 23 

a new one. This treatment should, be continued until the pain is less 
and the swelling is reduced or until an abscess forms, which may be 
ascertained by examining the surface of the gland with the fingers; 
and when, on pressing any part of the surface, it is found to fluctuate 
or "give," then we may conclude that there is at that x^lace a collec- 
tion of pus. It is well not to open the abscess until the fluctuation is 
well marked, as at this stage the i3us or matter is near the surface 
and there is less trouble in healing the wound than if the pus is deep 
seated. The poulticing should be continued for two or three days 
after the abscess has been opened. By that time the discharge of 
pus has ceased or become very slight, and the poulticing maj'^ be dis- 
continued. The wound should be sponged with tepid water once a 
day and a little of the following lotion afterwards applied and injected : 
Carbolic acid, 1 dram; water, 8 ounces. In some cases, after poultic- 
ing for four or five days, there will be no indication of softening at 
any point, and tliat treatment may therefore be discontinued, and 
then the swollen gland should be gently rubbed once a day with cam- 
I)horated oil. If this fails to promote absorption or bring about a 
gradual dispersion of the swelling, then to attain this object the 
swelling may be painted with tincture of iodine twice a day or rubbed 
once a day with compound iodine ointment. When the swollen gland 
is not being poulticed it should be covered with a piece of flannel. 
The diet of the animal should consist of soft food while it is under 
treatment. 

PHARYNGEAL POLYPI. 

Tumors form not infrequently in the pharynx, and may give rise 
to a train of symi:)toms var3dng according to their size and location. 
The tumor may be so situated that by shifting its position a little it 
ma}' partiallj' obstruct the posterior nares (nostrils), when, of course, 
it will render nasal breathing very nois}' and labored. In another 
situation its partial displacement may impede the entrance of air into 
the larjnix. In almost any part of the pharynx, but especially near 
the entrance of the gullet, they will interfere with the act of swallow- 
ing. As these tumors are frequently attached to the wall of the 
pharynx by a pedicel, or stalk, it will be seen that they maj^ readilj^ 
be displaced in different directions so as to produce the symptoms 
before described. Enlarged i)ostpharyngeal h'mphatic glands are not 
rare in tuberculosis and by pressing upon the wall of the jjharynx 
and restricting the lumen of this organ they cause difficulty in both 
breathing and swallowing. Such enlarged glands may be differenti- 
ated from tumors by passing the hand into tlie cow's throat after the 
jaws are separated hy a suitable speculum, or gag. 

Treatment. — The method of treatment followed in such cases is to 
separate the animal's jaws with an instrument termed a gag, and then, 
after drawing the tongue partiallj'' forward, to pass the hand into the 
pharynx and to gentl}' twist the tumor from its attachment. One 



24 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

veterinarian wlio has had considerable practice in treating this form 
of disease scrapes through the attachment of the tumor gradually 
with his thumb nail. In cases where the attachment is too strong to 
be severed in this way an instrument like a thimble, but possessing 
a sharp edge at the end, might be used to effect the same purpose, or 
the base of the tumor may be severed by the use of a crushing instru- 
ment known as an ecraseur. 



This accident usually happens from attempting to swallow too large 
an object, such as a turnip, potato, beet, or an apjjle or pear, though 
in rare cases choking may occur from bran, chaff, or some other finely 
divided food lodging in and filling up a portion of the gullet. This 
latter form of the accident is most likel}" to occur in animals which 
are greed}^ feeders. 

Symptoms. — The sjnnptoms will vary somewhat according to the part 
of the gullet or throat in which the obstruction is located. In most 
cases there is a discharge of saliva from the mouth; the animal coughs 
frequentl}^ and when it drinks the water is soon ejected. The cow 
stops eating and stands back from the trough, the expression is 
ti-oubled, breathing is accelerated, and oftentimes the animal bloats 
as a result of the retention of gas in the stomach. These symptoms, 
however, are not always present, for if the obstacle does not com- 
l^letely close the throat, or gullet, gas and Avater may pass, thus ame- 
liorating the discomfort. If the obstruction is in the neck portion of 
the gullet, it may be felt as a lump in the left jugular gutter. 

Treatment. — If the object is in the throat, it is advisable to put a 
gag in the animal's mouth, and, while the head is held in a horizontal 
direction by two assistants, to pass the hand into the pharynx, grasp 
the foreign bodj^ and withdraw it gradually and steadily. When the 
substance is lodged in the upper part of the gullet, pressure should 
be made by an assistant in an upward direction while the operator 
passes his hand into the pharynx, and if tlie assistant can not by 
pressure dislodge tlie substance from the gullet, the operator may by 
I)assing his middle finger above and partly behind the substance 
gradually'' slide the object into the pharynx and then withdraw it by 
the mouth. The i^resence of an obstructing substance in the cervical 
portion of the gullet may be ascertained by i^assing tlie hand along 
the left side of the neck, when a hard and 'painless swelling will bo 
found to indicate the x)resence of the foreign body. In such cases we 
must endeavor by gentle and persevering j^ressure with the thumb 
and two next fingers to slide the obstructing substance graduallj^ 
uj)ward to the pharynx. To facilitate this it is well to give the animal 
a quart of flaxseed tea or a lialf pint of raw linseed or olive oil before 
the manipulations described are commenced. When the substance 
has been bi'ought into or neai-ly into the pharynx, then the mouth gag 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 25 

should be used, the tongue drawn i^artially forward with the left hand, 
and the rlglit should he i^assed backward into the pharynx to with- 
draw the obstruction. When bran or chaff causes the trouble it is 
best to give a small quantity of oil to lubricate the walls of the gullet 
and then b}' gentle and persevering pressure to endeavor to separate 
and divide the mass and to work it downward toward tlie stomach. 
This will be assisted by pouring small quantities of oil and water 
down the animal's throat. It is not advisable to use the probang to 
push down anj^ soft material, such as oats or chaff, as this generally 
condenses and renders firmer the obstructing substance by x^'essing 
its particles or elements together, so that it forms a solid, resisting 
mass which can not be moved. 

In some cases, either because located in the chest portion of the 
esophagus, and so beyond reach, or because too firmly seated, the 
foreign body can not be dislodged from the* neck b}^ pressing and 
manipulating that jiart externally. In such an event we must resort 
to the use of the probang. (PI. Ill, figs. 2 and 3.) A probang is a 
flexible instrument, and adapts itself to the natural curvature of the 
gullet, so that if it is used cautiously there is not much risk of injury. 
Before passing the probang, a gag which has an aperture at each 
end, from which straps i)ass to be buckled at the back of the head 
below the horns, is introduced into the mouth. (PL III, fig. 4.) The 
X^robang should then be oiled, and, the head and neck being held in a 
straight line by two assistants, the tongue must be x^artly drawn out 
of the mouth, the i)i'obang cautiously passed along the roof of the 
mouth into the x^harynx and thence into the gullet, through which it 
is i)assed down. If resistance is met, gentle and continuous XJressure 
must be emploj^ed, under the influence of which the agent will gener- 
ally in a sliort time x^ass into the stomach. One must be careful not 
to x^ass the x^i'obang into the laiynx and thence into the windi)ipe of 
the cow. An animal may readily be killed in this way. This accident 
is indicated by efforts to cough and by violently disturbed breath- 
ing. If such sjnnptoms arise the probang must be withdrawn at once. 
To avoid a wrong passage, the end of the tube should be pressed 
through the throat ver^^ slowly until its x^i'esence in the esox^hagus is 
assured. After it is once in the esophagus care is still necessarj'-, 
because the walls of this tube maj^ easily be torn. 

There are instruments for securing and withdrawing the obstruc- 
tion. The simplest of these is made of telegraph-line wire by doub- 
ling a x^iece about 12 feet long in such a way as to leave a loop at the 
doubled end. This is x^assed as a probang with the object of snaring 
the foreign body, as a cork is removed from a bottle with a cork 
extractor. 

Some Avriters have advised that when the obstruction is lodged in 
the cervical (neck) portion of the gullet it should be struck with a 
mallet, so as to crush it and thus alter its shape, so that it ma}^ easily 



2'6 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

slip down into the stomach. If the obstructing substance is hard, 
this will be a dangerous operation, but if soft — as in case of a rij^ 
peai-, for example — this proceeding may be safely adopted. 

In all cases where pressure applied on the neck fails to move the 
obstruction and the probang also fails to move it, it may be divided 
by a subcutaneous operation or the gullet may be opened and the 
obstructiijg substance removed throngh the wound. In such cases the 
assistance of a veterinarian or a surgeon must be obtained. 

WOUNDS AND INJURIES OF THE GULLET. 

Sometimes from the rash and too forcible use of the i^robang the 
walls of the gullet may be more or less lacerated or abraded, and the 
animal consequently swallows with pain and difficulty. In such 
cases dry feed must be withheld for five or six daj^s, so as to allow 
the injured parts to heal, and the diet must be limited to linseed tea, 
hay tea, and thin oatmeal gruel. The same kind of diet must be fed 
after the oj)eration of cutting into the gullet has been performed. 

Sometimes the gullet is ru]3tured and lacerated to such an extent 
that treatment of any kind is hopeless. I have known this to occur 
when the handle of a pitchfork or a buggy whip has been pushed 
down a cow's throat to remove an obstruction. Where such treat- 
ment has been applied it is best to slaughter the animal without 
dela}", as the flesh may be utilized so long as there is no fever or 
general disease, and remedial treatment would be hopeless. In this 
connection it may be mentioned that whatever substitute may be 
used for a probang, which sometimes is not at hand, it should be 
flexible and should possess a smooth surface. A piece of new rojx?, 
with the end closely wrapped and waxed and then oiled, or a piece 
of thin garden hose, or a well-wrapped twisted wire, ma}' be used in 
emergencies. 

DISEASES OF THE STOMACH. 
ACUTE TYMPANITES (?IOVEN, OR BLOATING). 

This disease is characterized by swelling of the left flank, and is 
caused by the formation of gas in the rumen, or paunch. (See Pis. I 
and II.)' 

Causes. — Tj'mijanites may be caused by any kind of food which pro- 
duces indigestion. When cattle are first turned into young clover 
they eat so greedil}^ of it that tympanites frequently results; turnips, 
potatoes, and cabbage may also cause it; middlings and corn meal 
also frequently give rise to it. In this connection it may be stated 
that an excessive quantity of any of the before-mentioned foods may 
bring on this disorder, or it may not be due to excess, but to eating 
too hastily. Sometimes the quality of the food is at fault. Grass or 
clover Avhen wet by dew or rain frequentl}' disorder digestion and 
brings on tympanites; frozen roots or pastures covered with hoar 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 27 

frost should also bo regarded as dangerous. When food has been 
eaten too hastily, or when it is cold and wet, the digestive process is 
inipei-fectly performed, and the food contained in the pannch fer- 
ments, during which process large quantities of gas are formed. The 
same result may follow when a coav is choked, as tlie obstruction in 
the gullet prevents the eructation or passing up of gas from the stom- 
ach, so that the gas continues to accumulate until tympanites results. 

Symptoms. — The swelling of the left flank is very characteristic, as 
in well-marked cases the flank at its upper part rises above the level 
of the backbone and Avhen struck with the tips of the fingers emits a 
drum-like sound. The animal has an anxious expression, moves 
uneasily, and is evidently distressed. If relief is not obtained in time, 
it breathes with difficulty, reels in walking or in standing, and in a 
short time falls down and dies from suffocation. The distention of 
the stomach vaay become so great as to i^revent the animal from breath- 
ing, and in some instances the ease may be comj)licated b}^ rupture of 
the stomach. 

Treatment. — If the case is not extreme, it may be sufficient to drive 
the animal at a walk for a quarter or half an hour; or cold water by 
the bucketful may be thrown against the cow's sides. In some cases 
the following simple treatment is successful: A roj)e or a twisted 
straw band is coated Avith i)ine tar, wagon grease, or other unsavory 
substance, and is placed in the cow's mouth as a bit, being secured 
by tying behind the horns. The efforts of the animal to dislodge this 
object result in movements of the tongue, jaws, and throat that stim- 
ulate the secretion of saliva and swallowing, thus opening the esoph- 
agus, which permits the exit of gas, and at the same time peristalsis 
is stimulated reflexly. In urgent cases the gas must be allowed to 
escape without delay, and this is best accomplished by the use of the 
trocar. The trocar is a shari^-pointed instrument incased in a sheath, 
which leaves the sharp jioint of the trocar free. (See PL III, figs. 5a 
and 51). ) In selecting the point for using the trocar, a spot equall}^ 
distant from the last rib, the hip bone, and the transverse processes 
of the lumbar vertebrjie must be chosen. Here an incision about 
three-fourths of an inch long should be made with a knife through 
the skin, and then, the sharp point of the trocar being directed down- 
ward, inward, and slightlj' forward, is thrust into the paunch. (PI. I.) 
The sheath of the trocar should be left in the pauncli so long as any 
gas continues to issue from it. If the caiiula or sheath of the trocar 
is removed while gas is still forming in the paunch and the left flank 
becomes considerabl}' swollen it may be necessary to insert it again. 
It is well, accordingl}^, to observe the canula closely, and, if gas is 
found to be issuing from it, it should not be remoA^ed. When gas 
issues from the canula in considerable quantity the sound accompany- 
ing its escape renders the exact condition obvious. It is occasionally 
necessary to keep the canula in the stomach for several hours. When 



28 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

this is necessarj' a piece of stout cord should be ijassed round the neck 
of the canula immediately below the projecting rim, and then be 
passed round the animal's body and tied in a secure knot, and a care- 
ful attendant must remain with the cow during the entire period that 
the instrument is in place. The rim surrounding the mouth of the 
canula should be in contact with the skin. Whenever the person 
in charge of the cow is satisfied that gas has ceased to issue from the 
canula the instrument should bo removed. 

Tlie canula is to be employed only in extreme or urgent cases, 
tliough everyone who has had experience in treating indigestion in 
cattle will realize that he has saved the lives of many animals by its 
prompt application. When the tympanitic animal is not distressed 
and the swelling of the flank is not great, or when the most distress- 
ing condition has been removed by the use of the trocar, it is best to 
resort to the administration of internal medicine. Two ounces of 
aromatic spirits of ammonia should be given every half hour in a 
quart of cold water, or half an ounce of chloride of lime may be dis- 
solved in a i^int of tepid water and the dose repeated every half hour 
until the bloating has subsided. It is generally necessary to give a 
dose of purgative medicine after bloating has subsided, as animals 
frequently show symptoms of constipation after attacks of indiges- 
tion. For this purpose 1 or 1^ pounds of Glauber's salts may be used. 

CHRONIC TYMPANITES. 

Cattle, especially those which have been kept in the stable all win- 
ter, are liable to suffer from chronic tympanites. In this form the 
animal bloats up after feeding, but seldom swells so much as to cause 
any alarm. The chronic form of indigestion may also follow an acute 
attack like that previously described. This is also a symptom of 
tuberculosis in those cases in which the lymphatic glands lying 
between the lungs are so enlarged as to press upon and partly occlude 
the esophagus. 

Treatment. — Treatment should be preceded b}' a moderate dose of 
purgative medicine: 1 pound of sulphate of magnesia or sulphate of 
soda (Glauber's salts), half an ounce of powdered Barbados aloes, 1 
ounce of powdered ginger, 1 pint of molasses. The powder should be 
stirred up for a few minutes with 2 quarts of lukewarm water, then 
the molasses should be added; and after all the ingredients have been 
stirred together for about ten minutes, the dose should be adminis- 
tered. It will generally be necessary after the operation of the pur- 
gative to give some tonic and antacid preparation to promote diges- 
tion, which is imperfectly performed in such cases. The following 
may be used: PoAvdered gentian, 3 ounces; powdered bicarbonate of 
potash, 3 ounces; powdered ginger, 3 ounces; powdered capsicum, 1 
ounce. Mix and divide into twelve powders, one of which should be 
given three times a day before feeding, shaken up with half a pint of 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 29 

wliisky and a pint of water. It is also advantageous in snch cases to 
give two heaped teaspoonfuls of wood charcoal, mixed with the ani- 
mal's feed three times a day. The animal should also go out during 
the day, as want of exercise favors the continuance of this form of 
indigestion. If the dung is hard, the constii^ation should be overcome 
by feeding a little flaxseed twice daily or by giving a handful of 
Glauber's salts in the feed once or twice daily, as may be necessary. 
Roots, silage, and other succulent feeds are useful in this connection. 
If tuberculosis is suspected as the cause of the chronic bloating, a 
skilled veterinarian should be employed to make a diagnosis, using 
the tuberculin test if necessary. Until it is settled that the cow has 
not tuberculosis, she should be kept apart from the jother members of 
the herd, 

DISTENTION OF RUMEN, OR PAUNCH, WITH FOOD, 

This form of indigestion is caused by the animal gorging itself with 
food, and arises more from the animal's voracious apj)etite than from 
any defect in the quality of the food supplied to it. The condition 
is, however, more severe if the food consumed is especiallj^ concen- 
trated or difficult of digestion. In cases of this kind there is com- 
paratively no great formation of gas, and the gas which is formed is 
diffused through the stomach instead of accumulating in a laj^er in 
its upper part. On pressing the flank with the closed fist the indent 
of the hand remains for a short time in the flank, as if the rumen 
were filled with a soft, doughy mass. 

This form of indigestion should be treated by stimulants, such as 
alcohol, wine, or aromatic spirits of ammonia. But if the treatment 
ai)i)lied fails and the impacted or overloaded condition of the rumen 
continues, it may become necessary to make an incision with a sharj), 
long-bladed knife in the left flank, commencing at the point where it 
is usual to puncture the stomach of an ox, and prolong the incision 
in a downward direction until it is long enough to admit the hand. 
When the point of the knife is thrust into the flank and the blade 
cuts downward, the wall of the stomach, the muscle, and the skin 
should all be cut through at the same time. Two assistants should 
hold the edges of the wound together so as to prevent any food slip- 
ping between the flank and the wall of the stomach, and then the 
operator should remove two-thirds of the contents of the rumen. 
This having been done, the edges of the wound should be sponged 
with a little carbolized warm water, and, the lips of the wound in the 
rumen being turned inward, they should be bx'ought together with 
catgut stitches. The wound penetrating the muscle and the skin 
may then be brought together by silk stitches, which should pass 
through the entire thickness of the muscle and should be about 1 inch 
apart. The wound should afterwards be dressed once a daj^^ with a 
lotion and the animal covered with a tight linen sheet, to protect the 



30 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

wound from insects and dirt. The lotion to be used in sucli a case is 
made uj) as follows: Sulphate of zinc, 1 dram; carbolic acid, 2 drams; 
glycerine, 2 ounces; water, 14 ounces; mix. It is clear that this oper- 
ation requires special skill and it should be attempted onlj' by those 
who are competent. 

LOSS OF CUD. 

It is very common among farmers, when a cow or ox is ailing, to say 
that the sick animal has lost its cud. If it is meant that the animal 
does not ruminate or chew the cud, and that it consequently must be 
sick, no fault can be found with the exi)ression. In most cases, how- 
ever, the remark is not intended to convey the idea tliat the animal 
does not ruminate, but that the loss of cud is a disease in itself; that 
the cud has actually been dropped from the mouth and lost, and that 
for this reason the cow can not ruminate! AVe may here observe that 
loss of cud is a symptom of suspended rumination (PL II), and shows 
that the animal's digestive functions are not performed as regularlj^ 
as usual. It is a symptom of a great many diseases, and when its 
existence is detected it should lead the observer to try to discover 
other symptoms upon which to base a correct opinion as to the nature 
of the disease from which the animal suffers. 

VOMITING. 

This is not to be confounded with rumination, though some writers 
have advanced the oi)inion that vomiting is merely a disordered and 
irregular rumination. It is not of common occurrence in cattle, though 
it sometimes occurs. 

Symptoms. — Animals which vomit are frequently' in poor condition. 
After having eaten tranquilly for some time the animal suddenly 
becomes uneasy, arches the back, stretches the neck and head, and 
then suddenl}^ ejects 10 or 12 pounds of the contents of the rumen. 
After having done this the uneasiness subsides, and in a short time 
the animal resumes eating as if nothing had happened. 

Cause. — The cause of this disordered state of the digestive system 
in cattle is usually obscure, but has in some cases been traced to a 
partial closure of the opening into the second stomach or to a disten- 
tion of tlie esoiDhagus. It has been found to occur when there was 
cancerous disease of the fourth stomach, and experimentally it has 
been shown that a suspension of digestion or great derangement of 
the fourth stomach produces considerable nervous disorder of the 
rumen and sometimes vomiting or attempt to vomit. 

Treatment. — Easily digested food and plenty of Avater should be 
given. Fear and excitement, chasing, or hunying animals after eat- 
ing heartily are apt to bring on this result. In order to overcome 
irritation which may produce vomiting, the following draft should be 
given: Hydrate of chloral, lialf an ounce; whisky, 8 ounces; water, 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 31 

1 pint. The dose must be repeated when the condition of the animal 
seems to i*eqnire it. As a rule, treatment is not successful. 

DEPRAVED APPETITE (PICA). 

Cattle suffering from this disease have a capricious and variable 
appetite as regards their ordinary food, but evince a strong desire to 
lick and eat substances for which healthy cattle show no inclination. 
Alkaline and saline-tasting substances are especially attractive to 
cattle having a dej)raved appetite, and they frequently lick lime, earth, 
coal, gravel, and even the dung of other cattle. Cows in calf and 
3'oung cattle are especially liable to develop these symptoms. Ani- 
mals affected in this way lose condition, their coat is staring, ' gait 
slow, and small Axsicles containing yellow liquid form under the 
tongue ; the milk given by such cows is thin and waterj-. Such ani- 
mals become restless and uneasy, as is indicated bj' frequent bellow- 
ing. The disease may last for months, the animal ultimately dying 
emaciated and exhausted. Depraved appetite frequently precedes the 
condition in which the bones of cattle become brittle and fracture 
easily, which is known as osteomalacia. 

Causes. — It is generally believed, from the fact that this disease is 
largely one of regions, that some cbndition of tlie soil and water and 
of the local vegetation is responsible for it. It is more prevalent some 
3'ears than others and is most common in old countries, where the soil 
is more or less depleted. Cattle pastured on low, swampy land become 
predisposed to it. It occasionallj' happens, however, that one indi- 
vidual in a herd suffers though all are fed alike; in such cases the 
disease must arise from an imjjerfect assimilation by the affected ani- 
mal of the nutritive elements of the food which is supplied to it. 

Treatment. — The aim in such cases must be to improve the process 
of digestion and to supply the animal with a sufliciency of sound and 
wholesome food. The following should be given to the cow three 
times a day, a heaped tablespoonf ul constituting a dose : Carbonate 
of iron, 4 ounces; finely ground bone or "bone flour," 1 pound; pow- 
dered gentian, 4 ounces; common salt, 8 ounces; powered fenugreek, 
4 ounces; mix. In addition to this, 3 tablespoonf uls of powdered 
(jhareoal may be mixed with the animal's food three times a day, and 
a piece of rock salt should be placed where the animal can lick it at 
will. German veterinarians have had brilliant results from the treat- 
ment of this disease with subcutaneous injections of apomorphine in 
doses of It to 5 grains daily for three or or four days. 

HAIR CONCRETIONS. 

These concretions, or hair balls, result from the habit wliicli some 
cattle have of licking themselves or otlier animals. As a result the 
hairs which are swallowed are carried round b}' the contractions 
of the stomach and gradually assume the form of a small pellet, or 



32 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ball. These increase in size as fresli quantities of hair are introduced 
into the stomach, which become adherent to the surface of the hair 
ball. These hair balls are found most frequentl}' in the reticulum, or 
second stomach (PL II), though sometimes in the rumen. In calves 
hair balls are generally found in the fourth stomach. There are no 
certain symptoms by wliich we can determine the presence of hair 
balls in the stomach, and therefore no treatment can be recommended 
for such cases. In making postmortem examinations of cattle, we 
have sometimes found the walls of the reticulum transfixed with nails 
or pieces of wire, and j'et the animal during life liad not shown any 
symptoms of indigestion, but had died from maladies not involving 
the second stomach. 

INDIGESTION (DYSPEPSIA, OR GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH). 

Tympanites, already described, is a form of indigestion in which the 
chief symptom and most threatening condition is the collection of gas 
in the paunch. This symptom does not always accompany indiges- 
tion, so it is well to here consider other forms under a separate head. 
If indigestion is long continued the irritant abnormal products devel- 
oped cause catarrh of the stomach and intestines — gastro-intestinal 
catarrh. Or, on the other hand, irritant substances ingested may 
cause gastro-intestinal catarrh, which, in turn, will cause indigestion. 
Hence it results that these several conditions are usually found exist- 
ing together. 

Causes. — Irritant food, damaged food, overloading of the stomach, 
and sudden changes of diet may cause this disease. Want of exer- 
cise ijredisposes to it, or food wliich is coarse and indigestible may 
after a time produce this condition. Food which possesses astringent 
properties and tends to check secretion may also act as an exciting 
cause. Food in excessive quantity may lead to disorder of digestion 
and to this disease. It is very likely to appear toward the end of pro- 
tracted seasons of drouth, therefore a deficiency of water must be 
regarded as one of the conditions which favor its development. 

Sym2^toms. — Diminished appetite, rumination irregular, tongue 
coated, mouth slim}", dung passed apparently not well digested and 
smelling badly, dullness, and fullness of the flanks. The disease 
may in some cases assume a chronic character, and in addition to the 
foregoing symptoms slight bloating, or tj'mpanites, of the left flank 
may be observed; the animal breathes with effort and each respira- 
tion may be accompanied by a grunt, the ears and horns are alter- 
nately hot and cold, rumination ceases, the usual rumbling sound in 
the stomach is not audible, the passage of dung is almost entirely 
susjiended, and the animal passes only a little mucus occasionally. 
Sometimes there is alternating constipation and diarrhea. There is 
low fever in many cases. 

The disease continues a few davs or a week in the mild (;ases, while 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 33 

the sevei'e cases may last several weeks. In tlie latter form the ema- 
ciation and loss of strength may be very great. There is no appe- 
tite, no rumination, or peristalsis. The month is hot and stickj^^, the 
eyes have receded in their sockets, and milk secretion has ceased. In 
such cases the ontlook for recovery is unfavorable. The patient falls 
away in flesh and becomes weaker, as is shown by the fact that one 
frequently finds it lying down. 

On examining animals which have died of this disease it is found 
that the lining membrane of the fourth stomach and the intestines, 
particularl}^ the small intestine, is red, swollen, streaked Avith deeper 
red or bluish lines, or spotted. The lining of the first three stomachs 
is more or less softened, and may easily be peeled off. The thii-d 
stomach (psalter) contains dry, hard food masses closely adherent to 
its walls. 

In some cases the brain appears to become disordered, probably 
from the pain and weakness and from the absorption of toxins gener- 
ated in the digestive canal. In such cases there is weakness and an 
unsteady gait, the animal does not appear to take notice of and Avill 
consequently run against obstacles; after a time it falls down and 
gives up to violent and disordered movements. This delirious condi- 
tion is succeeded by coma or stupor, and death ensues. 

Treatment. — Small quantities of roots, sweet silage, or selected grass 
or hay should be offered several times daily. Very little food should 
be allowed. Aromatic and demulcent drafts may be given to produce 
a soothing effect on the mucous lining of the stomachs and to promote 
digestion. Two ounces of chamomile flowers should be boiled for 
twenty minutes in a quart of water and the infusion on cooling should 
be given to the affected animal. This may be repeated about three 
times a day. AVhen constipation is present the following purgative 
may be administered: One pound of Glauber's salts dissolved in a 
quart of linseed tea and a pint of molasses. After this purgative has 
acted, if there is a lack of appetite and the animal does not ruminate 
regularly, the powder mentioned in remarks on the treatment of 
chronic tympanites may be given according to directions. The diet 
must be rather laxative and of a digestible character after an attack 
of this form of indigection. Food should be given in moderate quan- 
tities, as an}- excess by overtaxing the digestive functions may bring 
on a relapse. 

INDIGESTION FROM DRINKING COLD WATER (COLIC). 

This disorder is produced by drinking copiously of cold water, 
which arrests digestion and produces cramp of the fourth stomach, 
probably of the other stomachs, and also of the bowels. 

Causes. — It is not customary for the ox to drink much water at once. 
In fact, he usually drinks slowly and as if he were merely' tasting the 

82G7— 04 3 



34 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

water, letting some fall oiit at the corners of his mouth at every mouth- 
ful. It Avoukl, therefore, seem to be contrary to the habits of the ox 
to drink largely; but we find that during hot weather, when he has 
been working, and is consequently very thirst}^, if he drinks a large 
quantity of cold water he may be immediately taken with a very severe 
colic. Cows which are fed largely on dry hay drink cojiiousl}', like 
the working ox, and become affected in precisely the same manner. 
In such cases they are seized with a cliill or fit of trembling before the 
cramps come on. 

Symjjtoms. — There is some distention of the abdomen, but no accu- 
mulation of gas. As the distention and pain occur immediately after 
the animal has drunk the Avater, there can be no doubt as to the 
exciting cause. 

Treatment. — "Walk the animal about for ten minutes before admin- 
istering medicine, as this allows time for a portion of the contents of 
the stomach to pass into the bowel, and renders it safer to give medi- 
cine. In many cases the walking exercise and the diarrhea bring 
about a spontaneous cure of this disorder, but as in some instances 
the cramps and j)ains of tlie stomachs persist, one va-Ay give 1 ounce 
of suli^huric ether and 1 ounce of tincture of opium, shaken up with 
a pint of warm water, and repeat the dose in half an hour if the ani- 
mal is not relieved. In an emergency when medicine is not to be had, 
half a pint of whiskj^ may be substituted for medicine, and should be 
given mixed with a pint of Avarm water; or a tablespoonful of pow- 
dered ginger may be administered in the same way as the remedies 
already mentioned. 

INDIGESTION IN CALVES (GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH, DIARRHEA, OR SCOUR). 

Sucking calves are subject to a form of diarrhea to wliicli the above 
designations have been applied. 

Causes. — Calves which suck their dams are not frequently affected 
with this disease, though it may be occasioned by their sucking at 
long intervals, and thus overloading tlie stomach and bringing on indi- 
gestion, or from imj)roper feeding of the dam on soft, watery, or 
damaged foods. Suckling the calf at irregular times may also cause it. 
Exposure to damp and cold is a potent predisposing cause. Calves 
which are separated from their dams and which receive considerable 
quantities of cold milk at long intervals are liable to contract this 
form of indigestion. Calves fed on artificial food, used as a substi- 
tute for milk, frequently contract it. Damaged food, sour or rotten 
milk, milk in dirty cans, skim milk from a dirty creamery skim-milk 
vat, skim milk hauled warm, exposed to the sun, and fed from 
unclean buckets, may all cause tliis disease. 

Symptoms. — The calf is depressed; api^etite is poor; sometimes 
there is fever; the extremities are cold. The dung becomes graduall}^ 
softer and lighter in color until it is cream colored and little thicker 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 35 

than milk. It has a most ofOensive odor and ma}' contain clumps of 
curd. Later it contains mucus and gas bubbles. It sticks to the 
hair of the tail and buttocks, causing the hair to drop off and the skin 
to become irritated. There may be pain on jjassing dung and also 
abdominal or colickj' pain. The calf stands about with the back 
arclied and bellj^ contracted. There may be tj'mi^anites. Great Aveak- 
ness ensues in severe cases, and without promi)t and successful treat- 
ment death soon follows. 

Treatment. — Remove the cause. Give appropriate food of best 
quality' in small quantities. Make sure that tlie cow furnishing the 
milk is healthy and is properly fed. Clean all milk vessels. Clean 
and disinfect the stalls. For the diarrhea give two raw eggs, or a cuj) 
of strong coffee, or 2 ounces of blackberr}- brandy. If the case is 
severe, give 1 ounce of castor oil with a teaspoonful of creolin and 
20 grains of subnitrate of bismuth. Repeat the bismuth and creolin 
with blackberry brandy and flaxseed tea every four hours. Tannopin 
may be used in dose of 15 to 30 grains. 

GASTRO-F.NTERITIS. 

This consists of an inflannuation of the walls of the stomachs and 
of the bowel. 

Gastro-enteritis, or inflammation of the walls of the stomachs and 
intestines, follows upon irritations more severe or longer continued 
than those that produce gastro-intestinal catarrh. 

Causes. — Severe indigestion may be followed by gastro-enteritis, or 
it may be caused by swallowing irritant poisons, such as arsenic or 
corrosive sublimate or irritant plants. Exposure to cold or inclement 
weather may produce this disea.se, especially in debilitated animals 
or animals fed improperly. It is claimed that if cattle feed on vege- 
tation infested with some kinds of caterpillars this disease may result. 

S]jmptoms. — Dullness; drooping of the ears; dryness of the muzzle; 
dry skin; staring coat; loins morbidly sensitive to pressure; fullness 
of the left flank, which is owing to the distention of the fourth stomach 
by gas. The pulse is small, the gait is feeble and staggering; each 
step the animal makes is accompanied by a grunt, and this symptom 
is especially marked if the animal happens to walk in a downward 
direction. There is loss of appetite, and rumination is suspended. 
The passages at first ai*e few in number, hard, and are sometimes 
coated with mucus or with blood. Later a severe diarrhea sets in, 
when the passages contain mucus and blood and have an offensive 
odor. There is evidence of colicky pain, and the abdomen is sensitive 
to pressure. Pain may be continuous. There is fever and accelera- 
tion of pulse rate and respirations. Mental dejire-ssion and even 
insensibility occur before death. The disease is always severe and 
often fatal. 

Po.'itmortem appearances. — The mucous membrane of the fourth 



36 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

stomacli has a well-marked red color and sometimes presents ulcera- 
tions. The wall is thickened and softened, and similar conditions 
are found in the walls of the intestines. The red discoloration extends 
in spots or large areas quite through the wall, showing on the outside. 
Treatment. — Very small quantities of carefully selected food must 
be given and the appetite must not be forced. Protect the animal 
well from cold and dampness. Internally, give linseed tea, boiled milk, 
boiled oatmeal gruel, or rice water. These protectives may carry the 
medicine. Tannopin in doses of 30 to 60 grains is good. Subnitrate 
of bismuth in doses of 1 to 2 drams may be given. Pulverized opium 
may be used, if the diarrhea is severe, in 1 to 2 dram doses. If the 
bowel movements are not free, one may give from a pint to a quart of 
castor or raw linseed oil. 

TRAUMATIC INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 

This disease results from the j)reseuce of a foreign bod3\ This 
condition is not rare in cattle, because these animals have the habit of 
swallowing their food without careful chewing, and so nails, screws, 
hairpins, ends of wire, and other metal objects may be swallowed 
unconsciousl3\ Such objects gravitate to the second stomach, where 
they may become caught in the folds of the lining mucous membrane, 
and in some instances the wall of this organ is perforated. From this 
accident, chronic indigestion results. The symptoms, more or less 
characteristic, are pain when getting up or lying down ; grunting and 
pain upon sudden motion, especially down hill; coughing; pain on 
pressure over the second stomach, which lies immediately above the 
cartilaginous prolongation of the sternum. If the presence of sucli a 
foreign body is recognized, it may be removed by a difficult surgical 
operation ; or, as is usuallj' most economical, the animal may be killed 
for beef, if there is no fever. 

DISEASES OF THE BOWELS. 
DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY. 

[See also Gastro-iutestiual catarrh, p. 34.] 

The word "dysentery," as it is commonly used in relation to the dis- 
eases of animals, signifies a severe form of diarrhea. 

Causes. — Diarrhea is a symptom of irritation of the intestines, 
resulting in increased secretion or increased muscular contractions, 
or both. The irritation is sometimes the result of chilling from 
exposure, improper feeding, irritant foods, indigestion, organic dis- 
eases of the intestines, or parasites. 

Sijuipfoms. — Passages from the bowels are frequent, at first con- 
sisting of thin dung, but as the disease continues they become watery 
and offensive-smelling, and may be even streaked with blood. At 
first the animal shows no constitutional disturbance, but later it 
becomes weak and may exhibit evidence of abdominal pain by look- 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGAISTS. 37 

ing around to tlie side, drawing- the feet together, lying down, or 
moving restlessly. Sometimes this malady is accompanied by fever, 
great depression, loss of strength, rapid loss of flesh, and it may 
terminate in death. 

Treatment. — When the disease depends on irritating properties of 
the food which has been supi^lied to the animal, it is advisable to give 
a mild purgative, such as a pint of castor or linseed oil. When the 
secretions of the bowels are irritating, an ounce of carbonate of mag- 
nesia and half an ounce of tincture of opium should be shaken up in 
a quart of linseed tea and given to the animal three times a day until 
the passages present a natural appearance. When there is debility, 
want of appetite, no fever, but a continuance of the watery discharges 
from the bowels, then an astringent may be given. For such cases 
the following is serviceable: Tannic acid, 1 ounce; powdered gentian, 
2 ounces; mix and divide into twelve i^owders, one powder to be 
given three times a day until the i)assages present a natural appear- 
ance. Each powder may be mixed with a half pint of whisky or 
blackberry brandy and a pint of water. Tannopin is a new remedy 
that is most useful in such cases. The dose is from 30 grains to 
2 drams. Useful household remedies are raw eggs, strong coffee, 
parched rye flour, or decoction of oak bark. In all cases the food 
must be given sparingly, and it should be carefully selected to insure 
good quality. Complete rest in a box stall is desirable. When 
diarrhea is a symptom of a malady characterized by the presence of 
a blood poison, the treatment appropriate to such disease must be 
applied. 

SIMPLE ENTERITIS. 

[See Gastro-enteritis, p. 35.] 

CROUPOUS ENTERITIS. 

Under certain conditions, severe irritation of the digestive canal 
may, in cattle, cause a form of inflammation of the intestines (enter- 
itis) that is characterized by the formation of a false membrane upon 
the surface of the lining membrane of the intestines, and particularly 
the large intestines. 

Symptoms. — There is fever, depression, loss of appetite, diarrhea, 
and in the fecal masses shreds of leathery false membrane may be 
found. These shreds are sometimes mistaken for parasites or for 
portions of the wall of the intestine. 

Treatment. — Give a pound of Glauber's salts, followed b}^ bicar- 
bonate of soda in doses of 2 ounces four times daily. 

ENTERITIS (OBSTRUCTION RESULTING FROM INVAC4INATION, OR INTUSSUSCEPTION. 
TWISTING, AND KNOTTING OF THE BOWELS). 

Inflammation may arise from a knot forming on some part of the 
small intestine, from the portion of the bowel becoming twisted on 
itself, or from one part of the bowel slipping into another, which is 



38 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

termed invagination. Tliis form of enteritis occurs occasionally in 
animals of the bovine species. 

Causes. — The small intestine, which in the ox rests on the right 
side of the rumen, is, from the i^osition which it occupies, predisposed 
to this accident. It has been ascertained that animals which have 
shown sj'mptoms of this malady have trotted, galloped, or made 
other violent exertions in coming from drinking, or that they have 
been chased by dogs or by animals of their own species while at pas- 
ture. The accident is most likel}" to occur among cattle on very hilly 
pastures. The danger of jumping or running is greatest when the 
rumen is distended with food. 

Symptoms. — This form of enteritis or obstruction is manifested by 
severe colicky pains; the ox scrapes and strikes the ground with his 
front and hind feet alternately; keej)S lying down and getting iip 
again; he keeps his tail constantly raised and turns his nose fre- 
quentlj' to his right flank; he is frequently bloated, or tymj)anitic, on 
that side. He refuses food and does not ruminate, and for some 
hours suffers severe pains. At first he frequently iDasses thin dung, 
and also urinates frequentl}^ but passes only a little urine at a time. 
On the second day the pains have become less acute; the animal 
remains lying down; moans occasionally; his pulse is small and 
quick; he refuses food and does not ruminate. At this stage he does 
not pass any dung, though sometimes a small quantity of bloody 
mucus maj'' be passed. The animal passes very little urine. This 
condition may continue for a considerable time, as cattle so affected 
niaj' live for fifteen or even twentj" days. 

Postmortem appearance. — At death the bowels are found to be mis- 
j)laced or obstructed, as. mentioned above, and inflamed, the inflam- 
mation always originating at the point where the intestine has been 
invaginated, twisted, or knotted. Sometimes theijart is gangrenous, 
the comiDression of the blood vessels preventing circulation, and thus 
causing the death of the tissues. 

Treatment. — Purgatives, anodynes, and other remedies are of no 
service in such cases, and bleeding also fails to j)roduce any benefit. 
Indeed, it is usually true that in such cases treatment is useless. 
Some cases are recorded in which an incision has been made in -the 
flank, so as to enable the operator to restore the intestine to its normal 
position or to remove the kink. 

CONSTIPATION. 

Constipation is to be regarded rather as a symptom of disease or of 
faults in feeding than as a disease in itself. It occurs in almost all 
general fevers unless the bowels are involved in local disease, in 
obstructions of all kinds, from feeding on dry, bulkj' food, etc. In 
order to remove the constipation the treatment must be applied to 
remove the causes which give rise to it. Calves sometimes suffer fi'om 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 39 

constipation immediately after birth when the meconium that accumu- 
lates in the bowels before birth is not i)assed. In such cases, give a 
rectal injection of warm water and an ounce of castor oil shaken up 
Avitli an ounce of new milk. The mother's milk is the best food to 
prevent constipation in the new-born calf, as it contains a large 
amount of fatt}' matter, which renders it laxative in its effects. 

It is usually better to treat habitual constipation bj' a change of diet 
than by medicine. Flaxseed is a good food laxative. If the consti- 
Ijation has lasted long, repeated small doses of purgatives are better 
than a single large dose. 

INTESTINAL WORMS. 
[See chapter on "Animal parasites of cattle."] 

RUPTURES (VENTRAL HERNIA). 

Ventral hernia, or rupture, is an escape of some one of the abdominal 
organs through a rupture in the abdominal muscles, the skin remain- 
ing intact. The rumen, the small intestine, or part of the large intes- 
tine, and the fourth stomach are the parts which usually form a ventral 
hernia in bovine animals. 

Causes. — Hernia is frequently x>roduced by blows of the horns, 
kicks, and falls. In old cows hernia may sometimes occur Mdthout 
any direct injury. 

Hernia of the rumen. — Hernia of the rumen is generally situated 
on the left side of the abdomen, on account of the situation of the 
rumen. In exceptional cases it inaj take place on the right side, and 
in such cases it also generally happens that some folds of the intes- 
tine pass into the hernial sac. Hernias have been classified into simi)le 
or complicated, recent or old, traumatic (from mechanical injury) or 
spontaneous. 

In recent traumatic hernia there is swelling on the left side of the 
lower i^art of the abdomen. The swelling is greatest in the cases of 
hernia which are situated on the lower part of the abdomen. Unless 
an examination is made immediately after the injuiy has been inflicted 
it is difficult, and sometimes imiDossible, to ascertain the exact extent 
of the rupture, owing to the swelling which subsequently takes i^lace. 
Frequentl}' there is no loss of appetite, fever, or other general symp- 
toms attending the injury. From the twelfth to the fifteenth day the 
swelling has generally subsided to such an extent that it is possible 
by an examination to determine the extent of the rupture. 

In old cows what is termed spontaneous hernia may sometimes take 
I)lace without any direct injuiy. The occurrence of this form of 
hernia is explained by the increase in the size of the abdomen, which 
takes place in an advanced stage of pregnancy, causing a thinning 
and stretching of the muscular fibers, which at last may rupture, or 
give way. Such hernias frequently occur about the end of the period 
of gestation, and in some instances have contained the right sac of 



40 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the rumen, the omentum, the small and large intestines, a portion of 
tlie liver, and the pregnant uterus. 

In old hernias the swelling is soft and elastic, and if they have not 
contracted adhesions to the sides of the laceration, they can be made 
to disappear by pressure carefully applied. Sometimes this accident 
is complicated by a rupture of the rumen, constituting a complicated 
hernia. If a portion of the contents of the rumen escape into the 
abdomen, the case will be aggravated by the occurrence of peritonitis. 

Hernia of the bowel. — When the intestines (PL III, fig. G) form 
the contents of the hernia, it will be situated at the right side of the 
abdomen. In an intestinal hernia the swelling is usually not painful, 
of a dough}" consistence or elastic, according as the intestine does or 
does not contain alimentary matter. This swelling caii generally be 
made to disappear by pressure, and when it has been reduced one 
can easily recognize the direction and extent of the hernial opening. 
Hernias of the bowel which are situated at the upper and right side 
of the abdomen are usually formed by the small intestine. They are 
less easily reduced than a hernia in a lower situation, but when 
reduction has been effected they are less readily reproduced than 
those occurring lower. In hernias of the small intestine, adhesion of 
the protruding parts to the walls of the opening, or strangulation, 
are complications Avhich sometimes take place. If adhesion has taken 
place the hernia can not be reduced by pressure, and when strangu- 
lation has occurred the animal shows symptoms of pain — is restless, 
turns its nose to the painful part, and shows those sj'^mptoms which 
are usually collectively designated under the term colic. If relief is 
not afforded, the animal will die. 

Hernia of the rennet, or fourth stomach. — This disease occa- 
sionally occurs in calves and is usually caused bj^ a blow from a cow's 
horn on the right flank of the calf. After such an accident a swell- 
ing forms on the right flank near the last rib. This swelliiig may be 
neither hot nor painful, even at first, and is soft to the touch. It can 
be made to disajipear bj' careful pressure, when the sides of the aper- 
ture through which it has passed can be felt. The application of 
pressure so as to cause the disappearance of the hernia is best made 
immediatel}^ after the occurrence of the accident, or when the edema 
which accompanies the swelling has disappeared. 

Treatment. — When a hernia is reducible — that is, can be pushed 
back into the abdomen — then, if it is of recent occurrence, it is advis- 
able to maintain the natural position of the parts by bandaging and 
to allow the walls of the laceration to grow together. The bowels 
should be kept reasonably empty by avoiding the use of bulky food, 
and the animal must be kept quiet. 

The following method of bandaging is recommended by liouley: 

First prepare a bandage (must he of strong material), about 10 yards long and 
between 3 and 4 inches broad, and a flexible and solid piece of pasteboard adapted 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 41 

in size to the surface of the hernia. The protrnding organ must then he replaced 
in the abdomen and maintained in that position during the application of the 
bandage. This being done, a layer of melted pitch and turpentine is quickly spread 
on the skin covering the seat of the hernia, so as to extend somewhat beyond that 
space. This adhesive layer is then covered with a layer of fine tow, then a new 
layer of pitch and turpentine is spread on the tow, and the piece of pasteboard is 
applied on the layer of pitch, its outer surface being covered with the same prep- 
aration. Lastly, the bandage, adhering to the piece of pasteboard, to the skin, and 
to the different turns which it makes around the body, is carefully applied so as to 
form an immovable, rigid, and solid bandage, which will retain the hernia long 
enough for the wound in the abdominal walls to heal permanently. 

If the hernia is old and small it may be treated by injecting a strong 
solution of common salt about the edges of the tear. This causes 
swelling and inflammation, which, resjpectively, forces the protruded 
organ back and closes the opening. There is some risk attached to 
this method of treatment. 

In small, old ventral hernias the method of compressing and slough- 
ing off the skin has been used successfully. If the hernia is large a 
radical operation wall be necessary, and this is also true when the 
symptoms indicate that a hernia is strangulated. This operation is 
performed by cutting down on the hernia, restoring the organ to the 
abdominal cavity, and then closing the wound witli two sets of 
stitches; the hmer stitches, in the muscular wall, should be made 
with catgut and the outer stitches, in the skin, may be made with silk 
or silver wire. The strictest surgical cleanliness must be observed. 
Bleeding vessels should be tied. Then a compress composed of ten 
or twelve folds of cloth must be placed smoothly over the seat of 
injury and a bandage applied around the bodj^, the two ends being 
fastened at the back. In the smaller kinds of hernia, nitric acid may 
sometimes be applied with success. This treatment should not be 
applied until the swelling and inflammation attending the appearance 
of the hernia have subsided; then, the contents of the hernia having 
been returned, the surface of skin corresponding to it is sponged over 
with a solution composed of 1 part of nitric acid to 2 parts of water. 
This treatment acts by exciting considerable inflammation, which has 
the effect of causing swelling, and thus frequently closing the hernial 
opening and preventing the contents of the sac from returning. A 
second apj)lication should not be made until the inflammation excited 
bj^ the first has subsided. In what is termed spontaneous hernia it 
is useless to apply any kind of treatment. 

Umbilical hernia. — The umbilicus, or navel, is the aperture 
through which the blood vessels jDass from the mother to the fetus, 
and naturally the sides of this aperture ought to adhere or unite after 
birth. In very young animals, and sometimes in new-born calves, 
this aperture in the abdominal muscles remains open and a part of 
the bowel or a portion of the mesentery may slip through the open- 
ing, constituting what is called umbilical hernia. The wall of the sac 



42 DISEASES Oy CATTLE. 

is formed by the skin -which is covered on tlie inner surface by a layer 
of cellular tissue, and within this there is sometimes, but not ahvays, 
a layer of peritoneum. The contents of the hernia may be formed by 
a j^art of the bowel, by a portion of the peritoneum, or may contain 
portions of both peritoneum and bowel. When the sac contains only 
peritoneum it has a doughy feel, but when it is formed l)y a portion 
of the bowel it will be more elastic on applying pressure. 

Causes. — In the new-born animal the opening of the navel is gener- 
ally large, and this opening may sometimes give way to the pressure 
of the bowel on account of the weak and relaxed condition of the 
abdominal muscles. This defective and abnormal condition of the 
umbilicus is frequently hereditary. It may be occasioned by roughlj^ 
pulling away the umbilical cord; through kicks or blows on the belly; 
through any severe straining by which the sides of the navel are 
stretched apart. AVe may mention in this connection that it is best 
in new-born calves to tie the umbilical cord tightly about 2 inches 
from the navel, and then to leave it alone, when it will drop off in a 
few days in most cases, leaving the navel in a closed condition. 

Treatment. — It is well to bear in mind that many, and esiDecially the 
smaller, umbilical hernias will heal spontaneousl}'; that is, nature 
effects a cure. As the animal gets older the abdominal muscles get 
stronger and possess more power of resistance to jjressure, the bowels 
become larger and do not pass so readily through a small opening, so 
that from a combination of causes there is a gradual growing together 
or adhesion of the sides of the navel. In cases of umbilical hernia 
where there are no indications that a spontaneous cure will take 
place, the calf should be laid on its back, and immediately on this 
being done the hernia Mill often disappear into the abdomen. If it 
does not its reduction may be brought about by gentle handling, 
endeavoring, if need be, to empt}' the organs forming the hernia 
before returning them into the abdomen. After the hernia has been 
returned the hair should be clipped from the skin covering it and a 
compress composed of ten or twelve folds of linen or cotton should be 
applied, first smearing the skin with pitch and then a bandage 
about 3 inches wide should be passed round the body so as to retain 
the comjiress in position. The lower part of the compress should be 
smeai'ed with pitch, and also those i:)ortions of the bandage Avhich 
pass over it, so as to keep it solid and prevent it from shifting. In 
some cases it will be found that the contents of the sac can not be 
returned into the abdomen, and this generally arises from the fact 
that some i^art of the contents of the sac has grown to or become 
adherent to the edges of tlie umbilical opening. In such a case the 
skin must be carefully laid open in the long direction, the adliesions 
of tlie protruding organs carefully separated from the umbilicus, and 
after the protruding parts have been returned into the abdomen, the 
sides of the umbilicus must be freshened if necessary T)y paring, and 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 43 

then tlie edges of the opening l)rought together by catgut stitches; 
the AYOund in the skin must tlien also be brouglit together by stitclies. 
The wound must be careful]}- dressed eve]"}- day and a l)andage passed 
round the body so as to cover and protect the part operated on. 

In small hernias nitric acid has been used suceessfullj^ in the same 
manner as has been described in speaking of the treatment of ventral 
hernia. Sulphuric acid has also been used for a similar i)urj)ose, dilut- 
ing it to the extent of 1 part of acid to 3 or 5 of water. In thin- 
skinned animals the weaker preparations ought to be preferred, and 
caution must be exercised in using such i^reparations so as not to 
destroy- the tissues on v.iiich they are api)lied. 

Another method of treatment is, after the contents of the sac have 
been returned into the abdomen, to tie a x)iece of strong waxed cord 
round the pendulous i^ortion which formed the outer covering of the 
hernia. The string is apt to slacken after two or three daj's, when a 
new piece of cord should be applied above the first one. The constric- 
tion* of the skin sets up inflammation, which generally extends to the 
umbilicus and causes the edges to adhere together, and by the time 
the j)ortion of skin below the ligature has lost its vitality and dropped 
off, the umbilicus is closed and there is no danger of the abdominal 
organs protruding through it. This is what takes jplace when this 
method has a favorable result, though if the umbilicus does not become 
adherent and the skin sloughs, the bowels will protrude through the 
opening. 

Gut-tie (peritoneal herxia). — In peritoneal hernia of tlie ox a 
loop or knuckle of intestine enters from the abdomen into a rent in 
that part of the peritoneum which is situated at the margin of the 
hip bone or it passes under the remains of the sperjnatic cord, the 
end of which ma}' be grown fast to the inner inguinal ring. The 
onward pressure of the bowel, as well as the occasional turning of the 
latter round the spermatic cord, is the cause of the cord exercising 
considerable pressure on the bowel, which occasions irritation, 
obstructs the passage of excrement, and excites inflammation, which 
terminates in gangrene and death. 

The rent in the peritoneum is situated at the upper and front part 
of the i^elvis, nearer to the sacrum than the pubis. (PI. I. ) 

Causes. — Among the causes of peritoneal hernia considerable impor- 
tance is attached to a method of castration which is practiced in cer- 
tain districts, viz, the tearing or rupturing of the spermatic cord by 
main force instead of dividing it at a proj^er distance above the testi- 
cle in a surgical manner. After this violent and rough method of 
operating, the cord retracts into the abdomen and its stump becomes 
adherent to some part of the peritoneum, or it may wind around the 
bowel and then the stump becomes adherent so that strangulation of 
the bowel results. The rough dragging on the cord may also cause a 
tear in the i^eritoneum, the result of which need not be described. The 



44 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

severe exertion of ascending hills and mountains, drawing- heavy 
loads, or the straining which oxen undergo while fighting each other 
may also give rise to peritoneal hernia, 

Symjotoms. — The ox suddenly becomes very restless, stamps with his 
feet, moves backward and forward, hurriedly lies down, rises, moves 
his tail uneasily, and kicks at his belly with the foot of the affected 
side. The pain evinced may diminish, but soon returns again. In the 
early stage there are frequent passages of dung, but after the lapse of 
eighteen to twenty-four hours this ceases, the bowel apparently being 
emptied up to the point of strangulation, and the passages now con- 
sist only of a little mucus mixed with blood. When injections are 
given at this time the water passes out of the bowel without even 
being colored. The animal lies down on the side where the hernia 
exists and stretches out his hind feet in a backward direction. These 
two particular symptoms serve to distinguish this affection from enter- 
itis and invagination of the bowel. As time passes, the animal becomes 
quieter, but this cessation of pain may indicate that gangrene of the 
bowel has set in, and may, therefore, under certain circumstances, be 
considered a precursor of death. Gangrene may take place in from 
four to six daj^s, when perforation of the bowel may occur and death 
result in a short time. 

Treatment. — The ox should in the first place be examined by oiling 
the hand and arm and passing it into the rectum ; the hand should be 
passed along the margin of the pelvis, beginning at the sacrum and 
continuing downward toward the inguinal ring, when a soft, painful 
swelling will be felt, which may vary from the size of an apple to that 
of the two fists. This swelling will be felt to be tightly compressed by 
the spermatic cord. It very rarely happens that there is any similar 
swelling on the left side, though it is best in such cases to make a 
thorough examination. The bowel has sometimes been released from 
its position by driving the ox down a hill, by causing him to jump 
from a height of 2 feet to the ground, and the expedient of trotting 
him has been resorted to with the hope that the jolting movement 
might bring about a release of the bowel. If the simple expedients 
mentioned have been tried and failed, then the hand being passed into 
the rectum should be pressed gently on the swelling in an upward and 
forward direction, so as to endeavor to push the imprisoned portion of 
the bowel back into the abdomen. While this is being done the ox's 
hind feet shoiild stand on higher ground than the front, so as to favor 
the slipping out of the bowel by its own weight, and at the same time 
an assistant should squeeze the animal's loins, so as to cause it to bend 
downward and so relax tlie band formed by the spermatic cord. If 
the imprisoned portion of gut is freed, which may be ascertained by 
the disaiii)earance of the swelling, the usual sounds produced by the 
bowels moving in the abdomen will be heard, and in a few hours the 
feces and urine will be passed as usual. If the means mentioned fail 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 45 

in releasing tlio impi-isoned portion of tlie gut, tlien an incision about 
4 inclies long must be made in the right flank in a downward direc- 
tion, the hand introduced into the abdomen, the situation and condi- 
tion of swelling exactly ascertained, and then a probe-i)ointed knife 
inserted between the imprisoned bowel and band compressing it, and 
turned outward against the band, the latter being then cautiously 
divided and the imprisoned gut allowed to escape, or, if necessary, the 
bowel should be drawn gently from its position into the abdomen. 
The wound in the flank must be brought together in the same way as 
in the case of the wound made in operating for impaction of the rumen. 

WOUNDS OF THE ABDOMEN. 

A wound of the abdomen may merely jDenetrate the skin ; but as 
such cases are not attended with much danger, nor their treatment 
with much difficulty, we propose to consider here merely those w^ounds 
which penetrate the entire thickness of tlie abdominal walls and 
expose to a greater or less extent the organs contained in that cavity. 

Causes. — Such accidents may be occasioned by falling on fragments 
of broken glass or other sharp objects. A blow from the horn of 
another animal may produce a wound which penetrates the abdomen. 
Exposure and i^rotrusion of some of the abdominal organs ma}^ also be 
occasioned by the incautious use of caustics in the treatment of 
umbilical or ventral hernia. The parts which generally escape through 
an abdominal wound are the small intestine and floating colon. 

Symptoms. — When the abdominal wound is small, the bowel exposed 
presents the appearance of a small round tumor, but in a few moments 
a loop of intestine may emerge from the opening. The animal then 
shows symptoms of severe pain by pawing with his feet, which has the 
effect of accelerating the passage of new loops of intestine through 
the wound, so that the mass which they form may even touch the 
ground. The pain becomes so great that the ox now not only paws 
but lies down and rolls, thus tearing and crushing his bowels. In 
such cases it is best to slaughter the animal at once; but in the case 
of a valuable animal in which tearing and crushing of the bowels has 
not taken place, the bowels should be washed with freshly boiled 
water, reduced to the temperature of the body, and returned, and the 
wounds in the muscle and skin brought together in a manner some- 
what similar to that which was described in speaking of ventral hernia. 

DISEASES OF THE LIVER AND SPLEEN. 

JAUNDICE (THE YELLOWS, OR CONGESTION OF THE LIVER). 

[Plate IV.] 

When jaundice exists, there is a yellow appearance of the white of 
the eyes and of the mucous membrane of the mouth. A similar aspect 
of the skin may also be observed in animals which are either partly 



46 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

or altogether covered witli white hair. Jaundice is then merely a 
symptom of disease and ought to direct attention to ascertaining, if 
possible, the cause or causes which have given rise to it, A swollen 
condition of the mucous membrane of that part of the bowel called 
the duodenum maj' produce jaundice, as that mechanically closes the 
orifice of the biliary duct. In constix^ation there is an inactive or tor- 
pid condition of the bowel, and the bile which passes into the intes- 
tine may be absorbed and cause the yellow staining of jaundice. 
Jaundice is one of the sjnnptoms of Texas fever. It may also arise 
from the presence of parasites or gallstones in the ducts, forming a 
mechanical obstruction to the onward flow of bile. The conditions 
under which jaundice most commonly calls for treatment are when 
cattle have been highly fed and kept in a state of inactivity. At such 
a time there is an excess of nutritive elements carried into the blood, 
which is associated with increased fullness of the portal vein and 
hepatic artery. When continued high feeding has produced this 
congested state of the liver, the functions of that organ become dis- 
ordered, so that a considerable portion of the bile, instead of being- 
excreted and passing into the intestine, is absorbed b}' the hepatic 
veins. 

Symptoms. — This disease occurs most frequently among stall-fed 
cattle. Pressure along the margin of the short ribs on the right side 
produces pain ; the appetite is poor and the animal shows hardly any 
inclination to drink; the mucous membranes of the eye and mouth 
are j'^ellow, the urine has a yellow or brown appearance, the animal 
lies down much and moves with reluctance, moans occasionally, and 
has a tottering gait. The ears and horns are alternately hot and cold ; 
in cows the secretion of milk is much diminished, and that which is 
secreted has a bitter taste; sometimes the animal has a drj', painful 
cough and presents a dull, stupefied appearance. 

Treatment. — In such cases it is advisable to produce a free action of 
the bowels, so as to remove the usually congested condition of the 
portal vein and liver. For this purpose we recommend the adminis- 
tration of the following dose: Sulphate of soda, 16 ounces; molasses, 
1 pint; warm water, 1 quart. The sulphate of soda is dissolved 
by stirring it up in tepid water. Following this the animal should 
have a tablespoonful of artificial Carlsbad salts in the food three 
times daily. Tliis treatment may be assisted bj^ giving occasional 
injections of warm water and soap. The diet should be laxative and 
moderate in quantity, and may consist of coarse bran mash, pulj)ed 
roots, grass in the season, and hay in moderate quantity. 

HEPATITIS (INFLAMMATIOX OF THE LIVER). 

Hepatitis is an inflammation of tlie liver, and usually occurs as a 
complication of some infectious disease. It maj^ also occur as a 
complication of gastro-intestinal catarrh, or in the hot weather from 
overheating or damaged (putrid or fermented) foods. 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 47 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are sometimes obscure, and their real 
significance is frequently overlooked. The most i^rominent symp- 
toms are yellowness of the white of the qjq> and of the membrane 
lining the mouth, the appetite is poor, the body presents an emaci- 
ated appearance, the feces are light colored, while the urine is likely 
to be unusually dark; there is thirst, and pain is caused by pressing 
over the liver. The gait is weak, and the animal lies down more 
than usual, and while doing so frequently has its head turned round 
resting on the side of its chest. 

Treatment. — Give a purge of Glauber's salts, and after it has operated 
give artificial Carlsbad salts in each feed, as advised under "Jaun- 
dice." Give green food and plenty of water. Oil of turpentine should 
be rubbed in well once a day over the region of tlie liver. The skin 
on which it should be applied extends from the false ribs on the right 
side to 6 inches in front of the last one, and from the backbone to 12 
inches on the right side of it. 

THE FLUKE DISEASE. * 

[See chapter ou "Animal parasites of cattle."] 
SPLENITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE SPLEEN). 

This disease occurs almost solely as a result of the existence of 
some infectious disease, and the sjnnptoms caused by it merge with 
the symptoms of the accompanying causative disease. The spleen is 
seriously involved, and becomes enlarged and soft in Texas fever, 
anthrax, and blood poisoning. 

DISEASES OF THE PERITONEUM. 

PERITONITIS. 

Peritonitis consists in an inflammation of the peritoneum, which is 
the thin, delicate membrane that lines the abdomen and covers the 
abdominal organs. 

Causes. — Wounds are the usual cause in cattle. The wound may 
be of the abdominal Avail or of the intestines, stomach, or uterus; or 
inflammation maj^ extend from one of the organs of the abdominal 
cavity to the i)eritoneum; so this disease may complicate enteritis or 
inflamed womb. A sharp metal body may perforate the second 
stomach and allow the gastric contents to escape, irritating the peri- 
toneum. This disease may follow castration or operation for hernia. 

Symptoms. — A continuous or occasional shivering; the animal lies 
down, but appears uneasj^; it frequently turns its head toward its 
belly and lows plaintively; pressure on the flanks produces pain; has 
no apiDctite; muzzle is dry and no rumination; while standiiig its legs 
are placed well under its bodj'; j^ulse small and hard. The evacua- 
tions from the bowels are dry and hard. If this disease is complicated 
by the presence of inflammation of the ])owels, the pain is more severe 



48 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and the animal is more restless. The skin is cold and dry in the early- 
stage of this disease, but in a more advanced stage this condition may 
be succeeded bj^^ heat of the skin and quick breathing. The fits of 
trembling, uneasiness, small and hard pulse, and tension of the left 
flank are symptoms the presence of which should enable one to reach 
the conclusion that peritonitis exists. 

Postmortem appearance. — The membrane lining the abdomen and 
covering the surface of the bowels is reddened to a greater or less 
extent, and there is usually considerable serous, or watery, fluid col- 
lected in the abdomen. 

Treatment. — When Ave have to do with the form of peritonitis result- 
ing from an injury, as when the horn of another animal has been 
thrust through the abdominal walls, this lesion must be treated in 
accordance with directions before given, but the general treatment 
must be similar to that which follows. Peritonitis resulting from 
castration or from parturition fever must also be treated in connec- 
tion with the special conditions which give rise to it, as the general 
treatment of this disease must be modified to some extent by the 
exciting cause. 

The aim must be to discover and remove the cause. The cause 
must be treated according to its nature. Harms strongly recommends 
borax in the treatment of peritonitis. lie gives 6 ounces in the first 
twenty-four hours, divided into three doses, and afterwards he gives 
6 drams three times daily. Opium in doses of 2 to 3 drams may be 
given. To bring on evacuations of the bowels it is better to give 
rectal injections than to administer purges. The strength may be 
sustained by coffee, whiskj', or camphor. 

The body should be warmly clothed, and it is advisable, when prac- 
ticable, to have a blanket which has been wrung out of hot water 
placed over the abdomen, then covered by several drj^ blankets, which 
are maintained in position by straps or ropes passing I'ouud the bod}^ 
The wet blanket must be changed as it cools — the object of treatment 
being to warm the surface of the body and to determine as much blood 
to the skin as possible. The diet should consist of laxative food and 
drinks, such as linseed tea. If peritonitis assumes clironic form the 
diet should be nutritious, such as selected clover hay, linseed cake, 
grass, etc., and iodide of potassium should be given in dram doses dis- 
solved in a pint of water three times a day. 

DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN (ASCITES). 

In this disease there is a serous, or watery, effusion in the cavity of 
the abdomen. 

Causes. — When old animals are fed on innutritions food or wlien 
an animal is reduced by disease, they become anemic; or, in other 
words, their blood becomes impoverished and dropsj' may follow this 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 49 

condition. An innutritions and insufficient diet will produce tlie 
same effect in young animals. It is one of the results of peritonitis, 
and may also arise from acute or chronic inflammation of the liver, 
such as is of common occurrence when flukes are present in the liver 
in large numbers. Heart disease and chronic lung disease may be 
followed by ascites. It is sometimes, in calves, a sj^mptom of infes- 
tation with worms.' 

Symptoms. — A gradual increase in the size of the abdomen at its 
lower part, while the flanks becomes hollow; pallor of the mucous 
membrane of the mouth and eye; weak and sluggish gait; want of 
appetite, and irregularity in ruminating. On percussion, or tapping 
the surface of the abdomen with the fingers, a dull sound is produced. 
If the hand and arm are oiled and passed into the rectum so far as 
possible, on moving the hand from one side to the other the fluctua- 
tion caused hy the presence of fluid in the abdomen may be felt. 

Treatment — The cause must be discovered if possible and removed. 
The diet should be nutritious, and in those cases where we have 
merely to deal with anemia (the bloodless state) arising from insuffi- 
cient diet, the use of tonics and diuretics, at the same time keeping 
the skin warm, may bring about a gradual absorption of the fluid 
contained in the abdomen. One of the following powders may be 
mixed with the animal's food three times a day; or, if there is any 
uncertainty as to its being taken in that way, it should be mixed with 
sirup, so as to form a paste, and smeared well back on the animal's 
tongue with a flat wooden spoon: Carbonate of iron, 3 ounces; pow- 
dered gentian, 3 ounces; powered nitrate of potash, 3 ounces; mix 
and divide into twelve powders. The administration of purgatives 
which promote a watery discharge from the mucous surface of the 
bowels, also tends, by diminishing the serum of the blood, to bring 
about absorption and a gradual removal of the fluid contained in the 
abdomen. Large doses should not be given, but moderate doses 
should be administered morning and night, so as to produce a laxa- 
tive effect on the bowels for some daj-s. To attain this end the fol- 
lowing maybe used: Sulphate of soda, 8 ounces; powdered ginger, 
half an ounce; mix in 2 quarts of tepid water, and then give at one 
dose. 

82C7— 04 4 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

Plate I: 

Position of the first stomach (paunch, rumen) on the left side: a, the situation 
of the rumen; 6, the spleen or milt resting on it; c, the skin and muscles 
removed from the ribs to show position of the lungs and their relation to 
the paunch. 

Plate II: 

Fig. 1. Stomach of a full-grown sheep, i natural size. After Thanhoffer, from 
R. Meade Smith's Phj^siology of Domestic Animals: o, rumen, or first 
stomach; h, reticulum, or second stomach; c, omasum, or third stomach: 
(I, abomasum, or fourth stomach; c, esophagus, or gullet, opening into first 
and second stomachs; /, opening of fourth stomach into small intestine; 
g, opening of second stomach into third; h, opening of third stomach into 
fourth. 

The lines indicate the coui'se of the food in the stomachs. The incompletely 
masticated food passes down the esophagus, or gullet, into the first and 
second stomachs, in which a churning motion is kept up, carrying the 
food from side to side and from stomach to stoma:-h. From the first 
stomach regurgitalion talies place; that is, the food is returned through 
the gullet to the mouth to be naore thoroughly masticated, or chewed, and 
this constitutes what is known as " chewing the cud." From the second 
stomach the food passes into the third, and from the third into the fourth, 
or true, stomach, and from there into the intestines. 

Fig. 2. Stomach of ox. After Colin, from R. Meade Smith's Physiology of 
Domestic Animals: a, rumen; 5, reticulum; c, omasum; cZ, abomasum; e, 
esophagus; /, opening of fourth stomach into small intestine. 

Fiirstenberg calculated that in an ox of 1,400 pounds weight the capacity of 
the stomachs is as follows: 

Per cent. 

Rumen, 149.25 quarts, liquid measure 62.4 

Reticulum, 23.77 quai'ts 10 

Omasum. 36.98 quarts 15 

Abomasum, 29.05 quarts 12. 6 

According to Colon — Quarts. 

The capacity of a beef's stomach is 266. 81 

Small intestine 69. 74 

Cecum 9.51 

Colon and rectum 25. 58 

50 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 51 

Plate III: 

Fig. 1. Clinical thermometer, ^ natural size. This is iTsed to determine the 
temperature of the animal body. The thermometer is passed into the 
rectum after having been moistened with a little saliva from the month, 
or after having had a little oil or lard rubbed upon it to facilitate its pas- 
sage. There it is allowed to remain two or three minutes, then with- 
drawn, and the temperature read as in any ordinary thermometer. The 
clinical thermometer is made self -registering; that is, the mercury in the 
stem remains at the height to which it was forced by the heat of the body 
until it is shaken back into the bulb by taking hold of the tipper portion 
of the instrument and giving it a short, sharp swing. The normal tem- 
peratiire of cattle varies from 100' to 103^ F. In young animals it is 
somewhat higher tlian in old. The thermometer is a very useful instru- 
ment and frequently is the means by which disease is detected before the 
appearance of any external sign. 

Fig. 2. Simple probang, used to dislodge foreign bodies, like apples, potatoes, 
eggs, etc., which have become fastened or stuck in the esophagus, or 
gullet. 

Fig. 3. Grasping or forceps probang. This instrtiment, also intended to 
remove obstructions from the gullet, has a spring forceps at one end in 
the place of the cup-like arrangement at the end of the simple probang. 
The forceps are closed while the probang is being introduced; their blades 
are regulated by a screw in the handle of the instrument. This probang 
is used to grasp and withdraw an article which may have lodged in the 
gullet and can not be forced into the stomach by use of the simple 
probang. 

Fig. 4. Wo3den gag, used when the probang is to be passed. The gag is a 
piece of wood which fits in the animal" s mouth; a cord passes over the 
head to hold it in place. The central opening in the wood is intended for 
the passage of the probang. 

Figs. 5a and ~ib. Trocar and canula; 5a shows the trocar covered by the 
canula; 5t», the canula from which the trocar has been withdrawn. This 
instrument is used when the rumen or first stomach becomes distended 
with gas. The trocar covered by the cauvila is forced into the rumen, 
the trocar withdrawn, and the canula allowed to remain until the gas has 
escaped. 

Fig. 6. Section at right angles through the abdominal wall, showing a hernia 
or rupture. Taken from D'Aborval, Diet, de Med., de Chir. ct de Hyg.: 
a fl, The abdominal muscles cut across; v, opening in the abdominal wall 
l^ermitting the intestines i i to pass through and outward between the 
abdominal wall and the skin; p p, peritoneum, or membrane lining the 
abdominal cavity, carried through the opening o by the loop of intestine 
and f<irming the sac S, the oiTter walls of which are marked h f b. 
Plate IV: 

Fig. 1. The liver is composed of innumerable small lobules, from t}^ to -jV i^^ch 
in diameter. The lobules are held together by a small amount of fibrous 
tissue in which the bile ducts and larger blood vessels are lodged. Fig. 1 of 
the diagram illustrates the structure of a lobule; v v, interlobular veins or 
the veins between the lobules. These are briinches of the portal vein, 
which carries blood from the stomach and intestines to the liver; c c, 
capillaries, or very fine blood vessels, extending as a very fine network 
between the groups of liver cells from the interlobular vein to the center 
of the lobule and emptying there into the intralobular vein to the center 



52 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of the lobule; v c, intralobular vein, or the vein within the lobule. This 
vessel passes out of the lobule and there becomes the sublobular vein; 
V s. sublobular vein. This joins other similar veins and helps to form the 
hepatic vein, through which the blood leaves the liver; d d, the position 
of the liver cells between the meshes of the capillaries; A A, branches of 
the hepatic artery to the interlobular connective tissue and the walls of 
the large veins and large bile ducts. These branches are seen at r r, and 
form the vena vascularis; t' v, vena vascularis; i i, branches of the hepatic 
artery entering the substance of the lobule and connecting with capillaries 
from the interlobular vein. The use of the hepatic artery is to nourish 
the liver, while the other vessels carry blood to be modified by the liver 
cells in certain important directions; g, branches of the bile ducts, 
carrying bile from the various lobules into the gall bladder and into the 
intestines; x x, intralobular bile capillaries between the liver cells. 
These form a network of very minute tubes surrounding each ultimate 
cell which receives the bile as it is formed by the liver cells and carried 
outward as described. 

Fig. 2. Isolated liver cells: c, blood capillary; o, fine bile capillary channel. 
Plate V: 

Appearance of ergot in hay: 1, blue grass; 2, timothy; 3, wild rye; 4, red top. 

Ergot is a fungus which may affect any member of the grass family. The 
spore of the fungus, by some means brought in contact with the unde- 
veloped seed of the grass, grows, obliterates the seed, and practically takes 
its place. "When hay affected with ergot is fed to animals it is productive 
of a characteristic and serious affection or poisoning known as ergotism. 
Plate VI: 

Illustrates the effects of ergot. The lower part of the limb of a cow, showing 
the loss of skin and flesh in a narrow ring around the pastern bone, and 
the exposure of the bone itself. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate I. 




Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate II. 




i-J/a,fy*^tM . c^ey^. 



Stomach of Ruminant. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate III. 



HiQnifflnmmaiKimiffliaiiJipmi] 

../<H?-,...^ :„.'.. l..J>... ........ ...M<L., ..,, 




Instruments. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate IV. 




Microscopic Anatomy of the Liver. 



DisfAfEs OF Cattle. 



Plate V 




f-rim Natl. IV 



Ergot in Hay. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate vi 




Marx from nature 



JS BIFN & C0.1 



Ergotism. 



POISONB AND POISONING. 

By the late V. T. Atkinson, V. S., 
Professor of Veterinary Science, Wisconsin State University , Ex-State Veteri- 
narian, Wisconsin, etc. 

[Revifei in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.] 

DEFINITION OF A POISON. 

To clearly define the meaning of the word "poison" would be some- 
what difficult. Even in law the word has never been defined, and 
when a definition is attempted we are apt to include either too much 
or too little. The following is perhaps as satisfactory a definition 
as may be given: A poison is a chemical substance having an inher- 
ent deleterious property rendering it capable in small quantities of 
producing serious functional disturbances upon gaining access to 
the sj^stem by the usual channels; or it is a substance which, when 
introduced into the system or applied externally, injures health or 
destroys life irrespective of mechanical means or thermal changes. 
The common conception of a poison is any substance which, in 
small quantity, will destroy life, excepting such as act by purely 
mechanical means, as, for example, powdered glass. 

Some substances that are not usually looked upon as poisons may 
destroj^ life if given in large doses, such as common salt. Other sub- 
stances which are perfectly harmless when taken into the body in the 
usual way are poisons if injected into the circulation, such as distilled 
water, milk, or glj'cerine. Living organisms are not "chemical sub- 
stances," and are not considered in this connection. 

SOURCES OF POISONING. 

Poisoning may come from many causes, among the chief of which 
are the following : 

(1) Errors in inedication. — By using the wrong substance or too 
large dose an animal may be poisoned. 

(2) The exposure of poisons used for horticultural, technical, or 
other legitimate purposes. — Poisons used for spraying plants, disin- 
fecting, i)oisoning vermin, dipping sheep, painting, smelting, dyeing, 
or other purposes, may be so handled as to come within the reach of 
animals. 

(3) Damaged food. — Food that has undergone putrefaction or cer- 
tain kinds of fermentation or heating, or food that is infested with 

53 



54 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

insects, may luivc become poisonous, producing forage poisoning, meat 
poisoning, cheese poisoning, etc. 

(4) Poisonous plants in the pasture or forage. 

(5) Tlie bite or sting of a poisonotis insect or the hiie of an animal. 
(G) Malicious poisoning. 

THE ACTION OF POISONS. 

This may be either local, and exerted directly on the tissues with 
which they come in contact, or remote, acting through the circula- 
tion or the nervous system; or both local and remote action may be 
exerted by the same drug. Poisons which act locally generall}" either 
destroy by corrosion the tissues with which they come in contact or 
by inhalation set up acute inflammation. When any corrosive agent 
is taken into the stomach in poisonous quantities, a group of symp- 
toms is developed which is common to all. The tissues with which 
the agent comes in contact are destroyed, sloughing and acute inflam- 
mation of the surrounding structures take place; intense i^ain in the 
abdomen and death ensue. In a like manner, but with less rapidity, 
the same result is reached if the agent used be not of a sufficiently 
corrosive nature to destroy the tissues, but sufficiently irritating to set 
up acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. 
If the poison exerts a remote influence alone, the action is quite differ- 
ent, little or no local effect being produced upon the digestive organs. 

To jjroduce au effect on some part of the body distant from the 
channel of entrance, a poison must have been absorbed and carried 
in the blood to the central nervous system or other region involved. 
The poisonous effect of any substance is modified by the quantitj^ 
used; by its chemical combinations; hy the f)art of the animal struc- 
ture with which it comes in contact; by the phj'sical condition of the 
subject; and also \>y the rapidity with w4iich the poison is excreted. 
As au illustration, oi^ium may be given with safety' in much larger 
doses to an animal suffering from acute pain than to one free from 
pain, and to an adult animal with greater safety than to a young one. 
The rapid it}^ with which the poison is absorbed, owing to the part of 
the body with which it is brought in contact, is also an important 
factor. So marked is this quality that some agents which have the 
power of destroying life with almost absolute certainty when intro- 
duced beneath the skin, maybe taken into the stomach without caus- 
ing inconvenience, as curara, the arrow poison, or the venomous secre- 
tion of the snake. Other agents in chemical combination may tend 
to intensify, lessen, or wholly neutralize the poisonous effect. For 
example, arsenic in itself has well-marked poisonous properties, but 
when brought in contact with dialyzed iron it forms an insoluble com- 
pound and becomes innocuous. Idiosyncrasies are not so noticeable 
in cattle practice as in practice among human beings, but the uncer- 
tainty with which some drugs exert llieir influence would lead us to 



POISONS AND POISONING. 55 

believe that well-marked differences in susceptibility exist. Even in 
some cases a tolerance for poison is engendered, so that in a herd of 
animals equally exposed injurious or fatal effects do not appear with 
uniformity. For example, among cattle that are compelled to drink 
water holding in solution a salt of lead the effects of the poisoning- 
will be found varying all the way from fatality to imperceptibility. 

GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF POISONING. 

It is not always easy to differentiate between poisoning and some 
disease. Indeed, examination during the life of the animal is some- 
times wholly inadequate to the formation of an opinion as to whetlier 
the case is one of poisoning or, if it is, as to what the poison may be. 
A chemical and phj^sical examination after the death of the animal 
maj'' be necessary to clear up the doubt. On the other hand, the 
symptoms may bo of such a nature as to point unmistakably to poi- 
soning with a certain agent. In general, the following classes of 
symptoms may be regarded as indicative of i^oisoning: Sudden onset 
of the disease without visible cause, a number of animals similarly 
affected at once, severe gastro-intestinal disorder or derangement of 
the nervous system, or both. Sudden alteration of heart action in 
relation to frequency, force, or rhj'thm. Local irritation, dyspnea, or 
change in the urine or urination. 

After death lesions of the greatest variety may be found, and it is 
•^?cessary for one to be skilled in anatomy and pathology to determine 
their significance. Oftentimes the stomach and intestines are red, 
have thick walls, and contain blood. This signifies a severe irritant, 
such as arsenic or corrosive sublimate. Other alterations sometimes 
found are inflammation of the kidneys or bladder, points of hemor- 
rhage in various organs, changes in the blood, congestion of the lungs, 
and certain microscopic changes. 

GENERAL TREATMENT. 

The treatment of animals suffering from poison must var}' accord- 
ing to the nature of the toxic agent. There are a few general plans 
of action, however, which should be followed so far as possible. In 
man and in some of the smaller animals it is possible to eliminate 
unabsorbed poison by the use of the stomach pump or bj^ causing 
vomiting. These proceedings are impracticable in cattle. It is 
well, therefore, in many cases to endeavor to expel the unabsorbed 
poison by emptying the digestive tract, so far as may be, with a non- 
irritating purge. Castor oil in doses of 1 pint to 2 quarts is best 
adapted to this purpose. If the poison is known to be nonirritant — 
as a narcotic plant — from 10 to 20 drops of croton oil maj' be given 
with a quart of castor oil. To protect the mucous membrane from 
the action of strong irritants one may give flaxseed tea, barley water, 
the whites of. eggs, milk, butter, olive oil, or fresh lard. Chemical 



56 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

antidotes inay sometimes be used for special poisons, as advised 
below. In general, if an acid ha,s been taken it may be neutralized 
with an alkali, sucli as chalk, magnesia, bicarbonate of soda (baking 
soda), ammonia (diluted), or soap. If the poison is an alkali, such 
as caustic soda or potash (Ije), or ammonia, an acid, such as diluted 
(1 per cent) sulphuric acid or vinegar, may be administered. Special 
treatments and antidotes are considered below. 

A poisonous agent may be so gradually introduced into the system 
as to slowly develop the power of resistance against its own action. 
In other cases, where the poison is introduced slowly, the poisonous 
action becomes cumulative, and although there is no increase in the 
quantity taken, violent sj'mptoms are suddenly develo^Ded, as if the 
wdiole amount, the consumption of which maj^ have extended over a 
considerable period, had been given in one dose. Other agents, 
poisonous in their nature, tend to deteriorate some of the important 
organs and, interfering with their natural functions, are iDroductive of 
conditions of ill health which, although not necessarily fatal, are 
important. Such a class might properly be called chronic poisons. 
Poisons of themselves dangerous when administered in large doses 
are used medicinally for curative purposes, and a very large percent- 
age of the pharmaceutical prej^arations used in the practice of medi- 
cine if given in excessive quantities might produce serious results. 
In the administration of medicines, therefore, care should be exer- 
cised not only that the animal is not poisoned by the administration 
of an excessive dose, but that injury is not done by continued treat- 
ment with medicines the administration of which is not called for. 

. MINERAL POISONS. 
ARSENIC POISONING. 

Of the common irritant and corrosive poisons, arsenic, especially 
one of its comi)ounds (Paris green, Scheel's green, or cobalt), is likely 
to be the most dangerous to our class of j)atients. The common i)rac- 
tice of using Paris green as an insecticide for the destruction of potato 
beetle and other insect enemies of the farmer and fruit grower has 
had the effect of introducing it into almost all farming establish- 
ments. White arsenic is also a principal ingredient in many of the 
popular sheep-dipping preparations, and poisoning from this source 
occasionally takes place when, after dixjping, the flock are allowed 
to run in a yard in which there is loose fodder. The drippings from 
the wool of the sheep falling on the fodder render it poisonous, and 
dangerous to animal life if eaten. Familiarity with its use has in 
many instances tended to breed contempt for its potencj^ as a poison. 
Rat poisons often contain arsenic. The excessive use of arsenic as a 
tonic, or of "condition powders" containing arsenic, has been the 
means of poisoning many animals. This is the common poison used 



POISONS AND POISONING. 57 

by malicious persons witli criminal intent. The poison may also be 
absorbed tlirouj^li wounds or through the skin if used as a dip or bath. 

If a large dose is given, at once acute poisoning is produced ; if 
repeated small doses are given, chronic poisoning may result. The 
poisonous dose for an ox is from 3 drams to 1 ounce. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of acute poisoning first appear as those 
of colic ; the animal is restless, stamping with the feet, lying down 
and getting uj). There is tenderness on pressure over the abdomen. 
The acute symptoms increase; in a few hours violent diarrhea is 
developed; in many cases blood and shreds of detached mucous 
membrane are mixed with the evacuations. There is irregular and 
feeble pulse and respiration, and death is likely to supervene 
between the eighteenth hour and the third day. If the latter period 
is passed, there is a reasonable hope of recovery. 

In chronic i^oisoning the symptoms are similar to those of chronic 
gastro-intestinal catarrh, with indigestion, diarrhea, and general 
weakness and loss of condition. 

Trecdment. — The antidote for arsenic is a solution of hydrated 
oxide of iron in water. It should be prepared fresh by mixing a solu- 
tion of suli)hate of iron, made by dissolving 4 ounces of sulphate of 
iron in one-half pint water with a suspension of 1 ounce of magnesia 
in one-half pint water. This quantity is sufficent for one dose for a 
cow and may be rej)eated in an hour, if much arsenic was taken. A 
solution of calcined magnesia or powdered iron or iron filings or iron 
scale from a blacksmith's forge may be given in the absence of other 
remedies. Powdered sulphur is of some value as an antidote. One 
must also administer protectives, such as linseed tea, barley water, 
whites of eggs, etc. 

LEAD POISONING. 

Lead poisoning of cattle usually comes from their having licked 
freshly painted surfaces, and thus swallowing compounds containing 
white lead. In several instances cattle have been poisoned by silage 
from a silo painted inside with lead paint shortly before filling. 
Sugar of lead has been administered by mistake for Glauber's salts. 
Lead poisoning may be acute or chronic. The fatal dose of sugar of 
lead is from 1 to 4 ounces. Water drawn from lead pipes or held in 
a lead-lined tank may cause poisoning. 

Sijniptoyns. — Symptoms are generally dullness, lying down witli the 
head turned toward the flank, colic, rumbling in the abdomen, loss 
of control of the limbs when walking, twitching, champing of the 
jaws, moving in a circle, convulsions, delirium, violent bellowing, fol- 
lowed by stupor and death. The symptoms generally extend over 
considerable time, but may end in death after twenty-four hours. 

Treatment. — The treatment should first be directed toward removing 
the cause. A large dose of purgative medicine should be given, and 



58 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the brain sj^mptoms be relieved by giving bromide of potassium in 
half-ounce doses every four or five hours and the application of cold 
water to the head. Dilute sulphuric acid in half-ounce doses should 
be given with the purgative medicine. In this case sulphate of mag- 
nesia (Epsom salts) is the best purgative, and it may be given in doses 
of from 1 to 2 pounds dissolved in warm water. After the acute symp- 
toms have abated, iodide of potassium may be given, in doses of 2 
drams each, three times a day for a week. 

Chronic lead poisoning occasionally occurs in districts where lead 
mining is the principal industry. The waste products of the mine 
thrown into streams contaminate the water supply, so that the min- 
eral is taken into the sj'stem gradually, and a very small i)er cent of 
any of the salts taken into the system in this way is pernicious. 
Water which contains any salt of lead to the extent of more than one- 
tenth of a grain to the gallon is unfit to drink. Such water when 
used continually is likelj^ to produce colic from the resulting intesti- 
nal irritation, and in aggravated cases paralysis more or less severe 
is likely to be developed. A blue line on the margin of the gums, 
the last symiDtom, is regarded as diagnostic and its presence as con- 
clusive evidence of the nature of the disorder. The free use of pur- 
gatives is indicated with iodide of potassium. 

Treatment. — No treatment is likelj^ to be of avail until the cause is 
removed. 

COPPER POISONING. 

The soluble salts of cojiper, though used as a tonic in the medicinal 
treatment of cattle, are poisonous when taken in large quantities. 
Like lead and arsenic, they have an irritant effect upon the mucous 
membrane with which they come in contact in a concentrated form. 
Cattle are not very likely to be poisoned from this cause unless 
through carelessness. The salts of copper — the most common of 
which is the sulphate of coi^iDer, commonly called blue vitriol — is 
occasionally used for disinfecting and cleansing stables, where it 
might inadvertently be mixed with the food. It is also used largely 
for making the Bordeaux mixture used in spraying fruit trees. The 
general sj-mptoms produced are those of intestinal irritation, short 
breatliing, stamping, and tender abdomen. 

Treatment. — Give powdered iron, or iron reduced by hydrogen, or 
calcined magnesia. Sulphur may be used. This should be followed 
by a liberal supply of demulcents, linseed infusion, boiled starch, 
whites of eggs, etc. 

ZIXC POISONING. 

Several of the soluble salts of zinc are irritant poisons. The chloride 
and sulphate are those in most common use. In animals which have 
power to vomit they are emetic in their action. In others, when 
retained in the stomach, they set up moi'e or less irritation of thp 



POISONS AND POIBONINO. 59 

mucous membrauo und abdominal pain, producing s3'mptoms already 
described in the action of other poisons which produce the same result. 
Treatment. — The treatment should be the same as for copper poi- 
soning. 

PHOSPHORUS POISONING. 

Only one of the forms of phosphorus in common use — the ordinary 
yellow — is poisonous. Phosphorus in this form is used for the destruc- 
tion of rats and mice and other vermin, and is largel}' used in the 
manufacture of matches. 

Symjjtoms. — The symptoms are loss of appetite, colic, diarrhea, 
irritation of the mouth and throat, and paralj" sis of the throat. There 
is also weakness, difficult breathing, and rapid pulse. The course of 
the poisoning is usually rapid, termiuating in either recoverj^ or death 
within three days. The toxic dose for cattle is from 5 to 30 grains. 
If taken in large quantities, the excreta are occasionally noticed to be 
luminous when examined in the dark. 

Treatment. — Turpentine given in an emulsion with flaxseed tea in 
a single dose of from 2 to 8 ounces. Permanganate of potash may be 
given in a one-fourth of 1 j)er per cent solution. Stimulants, such as 
alcohol and ether, should be administered. Oils and milk must not 
be given. 

MERCURY POISONING. 

Mercuiy poisoning is not rare in cattle from the fact that these ani- 
mals have a special susceptibility to the action of this substance. 
Antiseptic washes or injections containing the bichloride of mercury 
(corrosive sublimate) must be used on cattle with great care. Mer- 
curial disinfecting solutions or salves must be used cautiousl}^ Cal- 
omel can not be given freely to cattle. 

Symptoms. — The sjnnptoms are salivation, sore mouth, indigestion, 
diarrhea, skin eruption, paralysis of local groups of muscles, and 
nephritis. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in administering sulphur in 
large doses (2 to 4 ounces) or iron i)owder. Both make insoluble com- 
pounds with mercury. Follow with the whites of eggs mixed with 
water and with linseed tea. If the case does not terminate promptly, 
give iodide of potash in 1 dram doses twice dail}". 

POISONING BY ACIDS. 

Mineral acids. — The mineral acids — nitric, sulphuric, hydrochlo- 
ric, etc. — when used in a concentrated form, destroy the animal tissues 
with which thej^ come in contact, and in this respect differ from most 
of the poisons previously described. When taken into the stomach 
the mucous membrane of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and stom- 
ach is apt to be more or less completely destroyed. If taken in large 



60 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

quantities death is likely to result so si^ecdily that nothing can be done 
to relieve the patient, and even if time is aHowed and the action of 
the acid can b3 arrested it can not be done until considerable and, 
perhai^s, irreparable damage has been done. The mucous membrane 
with which the acid has come in contract in the esophagus ma^^ be 
destroyed by its corrosive action and carried away, leaving the mus- 
cular tissues exposed. The raw surface heals irregularly, the cica- 
trice contracting causes stricture, and an animal so injured is likely 
to die of starvation. In the stomach even greater damage is likely to 
be done. The peristaltic action of the esophagus carries the irritant 
along quickly, but here it remains quiet in contact with one surface, 
destroying it. It is likely to perforate the organ, and coming in 
contact with the abdominal lining or other organ of digestion soon 
sets up a condition that is beyond repair. In a less concentrated 
form, when the acid is not sufficiently strong to be corrosive, it exerts 
an irritant effect. In this form it may not do much harm unless taken 
in considerable quantity. AVhen it is, the mucous membrane of the 
stomach and intestines becomes inflamed; pain and diarrhea are 
likely to result. 

Treatment. — Any of the alkalies may be used as an antidote. Most 
convenient of these are chalk, baking soda, marble dust, magnesia, 
lime, soap, or pilaster from a wall. Mucilaginous drinks should be 
given in large quantities. 

Vegetable acids. — Oxalic acid in particular is corrosive in its 
action when taken in concentrated solution, losing its corrosive effect 
and becoming irritant when more dilute. It also exerts a specific 
effect on the heart, frequently causing death from syncope. Taken 
in the form either of the crystals or solution, it is likely to cause death 
in a ver}^ short time. Failure of heart action and attendant small 
pulse, weakness, staggering, and convulsions are the more noticeable 
symptoms. 

Treatment. — Lime water or lime or plaster should be given promptly. 
Acetic acid is irritant to the gastro-iutestinal tract, and may cause 
sudden paralysis of the heart. It should be counteracted by the use 
of alkalies, as advised above, by protectives to the digestive tract, and 
by stimulants. 

POISONING BY ALKALIES. 

The carbonates of potash and soda and the alkalies themselves in 
concentrated form cause symj)toms of intestinal irritation similar to 
those produced by mineral acids. Ammonia, caustic soda, and caus- 
tic potash (lye) are those to which animals are most exposed. The 
degree of their caustic irritant effects depends on their degree of con- 
centration. "When they reach the stomach the symptoms are nearly 
as well marked as in the case of the acids. The irritation is even more 
noticeable, and purgation is likely to be a more prominent symptom. 



POISONS AND POISONING. 61 

If death is not caused soon, the irritation of the gastro-intestinal tract 
and malnutrition will last for a long" time. Treatment consists ia 
neutralizing the alkali by an acid, such as dilute sulphuric acid (1 
per cent) or strong vinegar. The administration of such an antidote 
and its action must be carefully watched during administration. In 
the chemical change which takes place when the acid and alkali are 
combined, carbonic-acid gas is liberated, which may be to an extent 
sutiieient to cause considerable distention of the abdomen, even to 
asphyxia from pressure forward on the diaphragm. Should this dan- 
ger present itself, it may be averted by oi)ening the left flank, permit- 
ting the gas to escape. (See "Acute tympanites, or Bloating," p. 30.) 
Treatment. — Flaxseed or slippery-elm decoction must be given to 
soothe the inflamed mucous surface. Opium may be used to allay 
pain. 

COAL-OIL POISONING. 

Coal oil is sometimes administered empirically as a treatment for 
intestinal parasites. If given in large doses it produces poisonous 
effects, which are likely to be manifest some time after the adminis- 
tration. It acts as an irritant to the digestive tract, causing dribbling 
of ropy saliva from the mouth, diarrhea, tenesmus, and loss of appe- 
tite, with increased temperature and cold extremities. Visible mucous 
membranes are injected, pupils of the eyes contracted, Avatery dis- 
charge from the eyes and nostrils. Remotely it exerts a depressing 
influence on the functions of the brain and slight coma, and occasion- 
ally convulsions, from which the animal is easily aroused. The 
kidneys also suffer. The urine is dark colored and has the charac- 
teristic odor of coal oil. Death may result from gastro-enteritis or 
convulsions. 

Treatment. — The patient's strength should be fostered by the fre- 
quent administration of mild stimulants, of which aromatic siDirits of 
ammonia is perhaps the best. The animal should be encouraged to 
eat soft food and given mucilaginous drinks. 

Crude coal oil is sometimes applied to the skin to kill parasites. If 
too much is used, especially in hot weather, great weakness and depres- 
sion may be caused and in some cases death may result. 

CARBOLIC-ACID POISONING. 

Although one of the most valuable antiseptic remedies, carbolic acid 
in a concentrated form, when taken internally or used over a large 
surface externallj^, is likely to produce poisonous effects. It causes 
whitening, shrinking, and numbness of the structures with which it 
comes in contact, and, besides its irritant effect, exerts a i^owerful 
influence on the nervous system. Being readily absorbed, it produces 
its effect whether swallowed, injected into the rectum, inhaled, or 
applied to wounds, or even to a large tract of unbroken skin. Used 



62 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

extensiv^elj^ as a dressing, it may produce nausea, dizziness, and smoky 
or blackish colored urine. The last symptom is nearly always notice- 
able where the poisonous effect is produced. In more concentrated 
form, or used in larger quantities, convulsions, followed by fatal coma, 
are likely to take i)lace. Even in smaller quantities, dullness, trem- 
bling, and disinclination for food often continues for several days. 
In a tolerabl}' concentrated solution it coagulates albumen and acts 
as an astringent. 

Treatment. — As an antidote internallj^, a solution of sulphate of 
soda or sulphate of magnesia (Glauber's or Epsom salts) may be given. 
The white of egg is also useful. Stimulants may be given if needed. 
When the poisoning occurs through too extensive applications to 
wounds or the skin, as in treatment of mange, cold water should be 
freely applied so as to wash off any of the acid that may still remain 
unabsorbed. As a surgical dressing a 3 per cent solution is strong 
enough for ordinarj^ purposes. Water will not hold more than 5 per 
cent in permanent solution. No preparation stronger than the satu- 
rated solution should be used medicinally under any circumstances. 

SALTPETER POISONING. 

Both nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash are poisonous to cattle. 
These substances are used for manure and for preserving meats. 
They may be administered in a drench by error in place of Glauber's 
salts, or they may be exposed within reach of cattle and thus be eaten. 
The toxic dose depends upon the condition of fullness of the stomach. 
If in solution and given on an empty stomach, as little as 3 ounces of 
saltj)eter (nitrate of potash) may be fatal to a cow. More of the Chile 
saltpeter (nitrate of soda) is required to cause serious trouble. 

Symptoms. — Severe gastro-enteritis, colic, tympanites, diarrhea, 
excessive urination, weakness, trembling, convulsions, collai^se. 

Treatment. — Same as for poisoning by common salt. 

POISONING BY COMMON SALT. 

A few poun-ds (3 to 5) of common salt will produce well-marked 
signs of poisoning in cattle. So much salt as this will not be taken 
by cattle except under unusual conditions. If the food is poor in 
salt, and if none has been given for a long time, an intense " salt hun- 
ger" may occur that may lead an animal to cat a poisonous quantity 
if it is not restricted; or an overdose of salt may be given by error as 
a drench. 

Herring and mackerel brine and pork pickle are also poisonous, and 
are especially dangerous for hogs. In these substances there are, in 
addition to salt, certain products extracted from the fish or meat 
which undergo change and add to the toxicity of the solution. Some- 
times saltpeter is present in such brines. 



POISONS AND POISONING. 63 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are great, thirst, abdominal pain, diar- 
rhea, poor appetite, redness and dryness of the mouth, inci'eased uri- 
nation, paralysis of the hind legs, weak puLse, general paralysis, coma, 
and death in from six to eight hours. 

Treatment. — Allow as much warm water as the animal will drink. 
Give protectives, such as linseed tea, etc. Linseed or olive oil may 
be given. To keep up the heart action give ether, alcohol, camphor, 
digitalis, or coffee. To allay I3ain, give opium. 

VEGETABLE POISONS. 

These may be divided into two classes — those that are likely to be 
administered to the animal as medicine or such as may be taken in 
the food, either in the shaj)e of poisonous plants, or as plants or foods 
of vegetable origin that have been damaged by fungi or by bacterial 
action, producing fermentation or putrefaction. 

VEGETABLE POISONS USED AS MEDICINE. 
OPIUM POISONING. 

Opium and its alkaloid, morphia, are so commonly used in the 
practice of medicine that the poisonous result of an overdose is not 
uncommon. The common preparations are gum opium, the inspis- 
sated juice of the poj^py; i^owdered opium, made from the gum; 
tincture of opium, commonly called laudanum, and the alkaloid or 
active principle, morphia. Laudanum has about one-eighth the 
strength of the gum or powder. Morphia is present in good opium 
to the extent of about 10 per cent. In medicine it is a most useful 
agent in allaj'ing pain. It has an effect of first i^roducing a stimulat- 
ing action, which is foUov/ed bj" drowsiness, a disposition to sleep or 
complete anesthesia, depending on the quantity of the drug used. 
In poisonous doses a state of exhilaration is well marked at first. 
This is particularly noticeable in cattle and in horses. The animal 
becomes much excited, and this stage does not pass into insensibility 
unless an enormous dose lias been given. If the dose is large enough, 
a second stage sometimes supervenes, in wliich the symptoms are 
those of congestion of the brain. Tlie visible membranes have a blu- 
ish tint (cyanotic) from interference with the air supply. The breath- 
ing is slow, labored, and later stertorous; the pui3ils of the eyes are 
very much contracted; the skin dry and warm. Gas accumulates in 
the stomach, so that tympanites is a j)rominent symptom. The 
patient may be aroused by great noise or the infliction of sharp pain, 
when the breathing becomes more natural. A relapse into the coma- 
tose condition takes place when the excitement ceases. Later, there 
is perfect coma and the patient can no longer be aroused from the 
insensible condition. The contraction of the pupil becomes more 
marked,, the breathing intermittent and slower, there is perspiration, 



64 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the pulse more feeble and rapid; till death takes place. Poisoning of 
cattle with opium or its products rarely goes beyond the stage of 
excitement, because the quantity of the drug required for the later 
effects is so great. Seventj'-five grains of morphia administered sub- 
cutaneously has sufficed merelj^ to excite for twelve hours. 

Treatment. — Give strong coffee, 1 to 4 quarts, aromatic spirits of 
ammonia or carbonate of ammonia. Atropia is the x>hysiological 
antidote. 

STRYCHNINE POISONING. 

Strychnine is a very concentrated poison and i^roduces its effect 
very quickly, usuallj^ only a few minutes being necessary if given in 
sufficient dose and in such a way that it will be at once absorbed. 
The first noticeable symptom is evidence of unrest or mental excite- 
ment, at the same time the muscles over the shoulder and croup may 
be seen to quiver or twitch and later there occurs a more or less well- 
marked convulsion; the head is jerked back, the back arched and 
leg extended, the eyes drawn. The spasm continues for only a few 
minutes, when it relaxes and another occurs in a short time. The 
return is hastened ^^y excitement and in a short time again disap- 
pears, continuing to disappear and reappear until death results. As 
the poisonous effect advances the intervals between the spasms 
become shorter and less marked and the spasms more severe until 
the animal dies in violent struggles. 

Treatment. — The best method is to put the patient under the influ- 
ence of chloral, chloroform, or ether, and keep it there continuously 
until the effect of the poison has passed off. Alcohol may be given 
in large doses. 

ACONITE POISONING. 

In recent years tincture of aconite has for some unknown reason 
become a popular stable remedy. In the hands of some breeders it 
seems to 1 e . ..ed as a panacea for all the ills flesh is heir to. If an 
animal is ailing, aconite is given whether indicated or not. Fortu- 
nately^ the dose used is generally small, and for this reason the dam- 
age done is much less than it would otherwise be. Aconite is one of 
the most deadly poisons known. It produces paralysis of motion and 
sensation, depresses the heart's action, and causes death by paralj'sis 
of respiration. In large doses it causes profuse salivation, champing 
of the jaws, and attempts at swallowing. If not sufficient to cause 
death, there is impaired appetite with more or less nausea for some 
time after. In i)oisonous doses it causes the animal to tremble vio- 
lently, to lose power to support itself, and it brings on slight con- 
vulsions, with perspiration. The pulse is depressed, irregular, and 
afterward s i nte rin i ttcnt. 

Treatment. — The chemical antidote is tannic acid, which forms an 
insoluble compound with the aconitine. The depressing effect on the 



POISONS AND POISONING. 65 

heart should be counteracted by the use of ammonia, digitalis, alcohol, 
camphor, or other diffusible stimulants, which have a physiological 
effect opposite to aconite. 

TURPENTINE POISONING. 

Many conifers, but especially some species of pines, contain tur- 
pentine. In the winter and early spring the ends of the branches of 
such trees may be eaten by cattle. If a sufficient quantity is con- 
sumed, poisoning may result. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms signify more or less severe irritation of 
the digestive and urinary tracts. There is poor ai^petite, abdominal 
pain, emaciation, dark urine, which may contain blood, difficulty in 
passing urine, constrained attitude, and sensitiveness to pressure 
over the loins. Later there may be excitation followed by depression 
of the nervous system. 

Treatment. — Change food. Give linseed tea, barley gruel, or slip- 
pery-elm bark infusion. For the excitement give chloral hydrate or 
bromide of potash. 

DIETETIC POISONS. 

A small but important group of poisons may be classed under this 
head. In some cases it is poison naturally belonging to the plant; in 
other cases the poisonous principle is developed in what would other- 
wise be harmless plants as a plant disease, or as a fermentation or 
putrefaction due to bacterial growth and observed in forage, graHn, or 
meal that has heated, become damaged, or "spoilt." 

Loco WEED POISONING. — The " loco weed " is a term applied to legu- 
minous plants of several genera, all of which are supposed to have 
certain similar effects on horses and cattle. It is found on the Plains 
and in the natural pastures of some of our Western States and Terri- 
tories. The plant grows on high, gravelly, or sandy soil. It has a 
rather attractive appearance, and retains its soft, pale green color all 
winter. Of one of the most common species {Astragalus mollissimus) 
it may be said that a mass of leaves 4 to 10 inches hi^ . g^iow from the 
very short stem. The leaves are pinnate, similar in form tO' ohose of 
a locust tree, with ten pairs of leaflets and an odd terminal one. The 
flower scape grows from the center of the plant. The flowers, shaped 
like pea blossoms, appear in June or July, and are yellow tinted with 
violet. The seeds are contained in a pod about half an inch long. 
It is said that a stalk-boring larva has attacked the plant and seems 
to be doing much toward eradicating it. 

Horses and cattle seem to acquire a taste for loco weeds, although 
it is not a plant that would be considered as a food or that would be 
eaten with a relish the first time. In the early spring, when herbage 
is scarce, its green appearance may attract the animal, and the habit 
of eating it be thus acquired. Its effect is not noticeable till a con- 

8367—04 5 



66 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

siderable quantity has been eaten. It seems to exert its influence on 
the nervous system. The gait is slow and measured, the step high, 
the eyes glassy and staring, the vision defective. Sudden excitement 
will frequently produce convulsions, which, if the disease is well 
advanced, have a temporarily prostrating effect upon the animal. 
Although loco poisoning is a nervous affection, emaciation is one of 
the most noticeable symptoms. The taste for the weed becomes 
stronger, the victim preferring it to other food. When it is taken in 
large quantities delii'ium is produced and the animal becomes vicious. 
If the cause be removed before too much injurj^ is done, recover}^ is 
likely to take place. 

Treatment. — Medicinal treatment seems to be of little avail. Com- 
fortable stabling, quiet, and a liberal supply of wholesome food tend to 
counteract the poisonous effect of the plant and build up the depleted 
forces. 

Laurel poisoning. — The mountain laurel, the rhododendron, and 
the bay tree are poisonous for cattle. The foliage of these plants is 
most likely to be eaten in the late winter or spring, when there is 
little forage available. The effect is to cause great mental excite- 
ment, salivation, retching, colic, diarrhea, nerve exhaustion, and 
paralysis. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in administering protectives to 
soothe the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane, and stimulants to keep 
up the action of the heart and general strength. For this purpose 
one may use coffee, whisky, or ammonia. 

Other poisonous plants. — Other poisonous plants are the box, 
water hemlock, equisetum, lupine (under special conditions), tobacco, 
green acorns (when eaten in excessive quantities by horses or cattle), 
green sorghum and Kafir corn forage (when stunted or frosted), lily 
of the valley, aconite, oleander, jimson weed, green potatoes and 
potato sprouts, and poison rye grass {Loliuni temulentum). 

Ergotism. — The poisonous effects of ergot (Pis. V, VI) appear 
chiefly in the winter and spring of the year and among cattle. It is 
developed among grasses grown on rich soil in hot, damp seasons. 
Rye seems more liable to ergot than any of our other crops. Of the 
grasses which enter into the composition of hay, blue grass is the 
most likely to become affected. Ergot may also affect redtop, oats, 
grasses, and grains. On the plant the fungus manifests itself on 
the seeds, where it is easily recognized when the hay is examined in 
the mow. The ergotized seeds are several times larger than the 
natural seeds — hard, black, and generally curved in shaiie. 

The effect of the protracted use of ergot in the food is pretty well 
understood to be that of producing a degeneration and obstruction of 
the smaller arterial branches. The result is to shut off the blood sup- 
X)ly to the distal parts of the body, where the circulation is weakest, 
and thus to produce a mummification or drj' gangrene of the extrem- 



POISONS AND POISONING. 67 

ities, as tlie ears, tail, feet, etc. Cattle seem to be more susceptible 
than other animals to the influence of ergot, possibly on account of 
the slowness of the heart's action. When the effect of the poison has 
become sufficient to entirely arrest the circulation in any j)art, the 
structures soon die. The disorder manifests itself as lameness in one 
or more limbs; swelling about the ankle which may result in only a 
small slough or the loss of a toe, but it may circumscribe the limb at 
any point below the knee or hock by an indented ring, below which 
the tissues become dead. The indentation soon changes to a crack, 
which, like it, extends completely round the limb, forming the line 
of separation between the dead and living structures. The crack 
deepens till the parts below drop off without loss of blood, and fre- 
quently with very little pus. Ergot may cause serious irritation of 
the digestive tract, or by acting upon the nervous system it may cause 
lethargy or paral3^sis. It also operates to cause contraction of the 
uterus, and may thus cause abortion. 

Treatment. — Regarding the treatment, change of food and local 
antiseptics are, of course, indicated. The former may be useful as a 
preventive, but when the symptoms have appeared the animal is nec- 
essarily so completely saturated that recovery is likely to be tedious. 
Tannin may be given internally in doses of one-half dram twice daily 
for a few daj'S to neutralize the unabsorbed alkaloids of the ergot. 
At the same time give castor oil. To dilate the blood vessels give 
chloral hydrate. Bathe the affected parts with hot water. If slough- 
ing has gone far, amputation must be resorted to. 

OTHER POISONOUS FUNGI. 

Many other fungi poison herbivora. In some instances, however, 
where fungi are blamed for causing disease their presence on the food- 
stuff or herbage is but coincidental with some other and more potent 
disease-producing factor. For example, if the conditions are favor- 
able to the growth of fungi they are also favorable to the growth of 
bacteria, and bacteria may produce poisons in foods. In general it 
may be said that any food that is moldy, musty, or putrid is possibly 
dangerous. Silage, properly cured, does not belong to this class, 
because the curing of silage is not a bacterial process. But spoiled 
silage and silage matted with mold is dangerous and should not be fed. 

POISONING BY ANIMAL PRODUCTS. 
SNAKE BITES. 

The poison contained in the tooth glands of certain venomous rep- 
tiles, particularly some of the snakes, which is injected into or under 
the skin of an animal bitten by the reptile, is a very powerful agent. 
It is likely to produce a serious local irritation, and in the case of the 
more poisonous snakes serious constitutional disturbances, even to 



68 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

causing death, which it may do in either of two waj^s. First, when 
very strong, by exerting a narcotic influence similar to that of some of 
the powerful poisons, checking heart action. Second, by diffused 
inflammation of the areolar tissue, gangrene, and extensive sloughing. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of snake bite are a local swelling caused 
by an intense local inflammation, pricks showing where the fangs pene- 
trated, depression, weakness, feeble pulse, difficult breathing, bluish 
discoloration of the visible mucous membranes, stupor, or convulsions. 
If the poison is not powerful or plentiful enough to produce death, it 
is, at any rate, likely to cause severe local abscesses or sloughs. 

Treatment. — The treatment may be divided into local and general. 
Locallj^ every effort should be made to prevent absorption of the 
poison. If discovered at once the bitten part had better be excised. If 
that is impracticable and a ligature can be applied, as in the case of 
a bite to one of the limbs, no time should be lost in applying it above 
the injury. It should be made suf&eiently tight to so far as possible 
arrest circulation in the bitten part. The wound should be freely 
incised, so that it will bleed freely, and the poison should be extracted 
by cupping or pressed out by squeezing with the flngers. Perman- 
ganate of potash in 5 per cent solution should be applied to and 
injected into the wound. The depressing effect of the poison on the 
general sj^stem should be counteracted by liberal drenching with 
stimulants, such as alcohol, coffee, digitalis, or the aromatic spirits 
or carbonate of ammonia. In animal practice the alcoholic stimu- 
lants and local treatment above described are likely to meet with best 
success. A special antitoxin for use in treating snake bite is now 
prepared and may be had from the leading druggists. It is quite 
effective if used promptly. 

WASP AND BEE STINGS. 

"Wasps and bees secrete a poisonous substance which they are able 
to insert through the skin of an animal by the aid of their sharp 
stings. This poison is a severe local irritant, and may even cause 
local gangrene. It also has a depressing effect upon the central nerv- 
ous system, and destroys the red-blood corpuscles. To produce these 
general effects it must be introduced in very large quantities, as when 
an animal is stung by a swarm of bees or wasps. 

Treatment. — The treatment is to wash the parts with diluted ammo- 
nia or permanganate of potash solution and to give stimulants inter- 
nally. If there is so much sw^elling about the head and nostrils as to 
interfere with breathing, tracheotomy may be necessary. 

POISONING BY INSECTS ON THE FORAGE. 

Cattle grazing on forage heavily infested with caterpillars have 
been known to develop acute indigestion, colic, and, in a few cases, 



POISONS AND POISONING. 69 

to die as a result of this poisoning. Plant lice cause irritation of the 
mouth and throat if eaten in large numbers. Some insects secrete a 
chemical poison which, taken in this way, causes serious digestive 
disturbance. 

POISONING WITH SPANISH FLY. 

Spanish fly, in the form of jjowdered cantliarides, may be given in 
an overdose, or when applied as a blister to too large a surface of 
skin enough may be absorbed to poison. If given by the mouth it 
causes severe irritation of the gastro-intestinal tract, shown by sali- 
vation, sore throat, colic, bloody diarrhea, etc. It also produces, 
whether given by the mouth or absorbed through the skin, irritation 
of the urinary tract, as shown by frequent and painful urination. If 
death results, it is due to respiratory paralysis. 

Treatment. — Give protectives and the white of egg, with opium. Do 
not give oils or alcohol. 



DISEASES OF THE HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, 
AND LYMPHATICS. 

By W. H. Harbaugh, V. S. 

[Revised in 1904 by Leonard Peai-son, B. S., V. M. D.] 

The heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics may be described as the 
circulatory apparatus. 

The heart is located in the thoracic cavity (chest). It is conical in 
form, with the base or large part uppermost, while the apex, or point, 
rests just above the sternum (breastbone). It is situated between 
the right and left lungs, the apex inclining to the left, and owing to this 
circumstance the heart beats are best felt on the left side of the chest 
behind the elbow. The heart may be considered as a, hollow muscle, 
containing four compartments, two on each side. The upper com- 
partments are called auricles and the lower ones are called ventricles. 
The right auricle and ventricle are completely separated from the 
left auricle and ventricle by a thick septum or wall, so that there is 
no communicatipn between the right and left sides of the heart. 

At the bottom of each auricle is the auriculo-ventricular opening, 
each provided with a valve to close it when the heart contracts to 
force the blood into the arteries. In the interval between the con- 
tractions these valves hang down into the ventricles. 

The muscular tissue of the heart belongs to that class known as 
involuntary, because its action is not controlled by the will. 

The cavities of the heart are lined bj^ serous membrane, called the 
endocardium. The endocardium may be considered as continued into 
the veins and the arteries, forming their internal lining. The walls 
of the ventricles are thicker than those of the auricles, and the walls 
of the left ventricle are much thicker than those of the right. 

The heart is enveloped by a fibrous sac (or bag), called the pericar- 
dium, which assumes much of the general shape of the outer surface 
of the heart. 

The action of the heart is similar to that of a pump and its function 
Is to keej) the blood in circulation. The auricles ma}^ be considered as 
the reservoirs or receivers of the blood and the ventricles as the pump 
chambers. During the interval between contractions, the heart being 
in momentary repose, the blood pours into the auricles from the veins; 
the auriculo-ventricular orifices being widelj^ open, the ventricles also 
receive blood; the auricles contract and the venti'icles are filled; con- 
70 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 71 

traction of the ventricles follows; the jiuriculo- ventricular valves are 
forced up by the pressure of tlie blood and close the auriculo-ventric- 
ular openings and prevent the return of blood into the auricles; the 
contraction of the ventricles forces the blood from the right ventricle 
into the lungs through the pulmonary artery and its branches, and 
from the left ventricle into the aorta and all parts of the body through 
the arteries. After the contraction of the ventricles the heart is again 
in momentary repose and being filled with blood, while the valves in 
the aorta and pulmonary artery close to prevent the return of blood 
into the ventricles. (See PL VII. ) 

The average weight of the heart of an ox is said to be from 3t]- to 5 
I)ounds, but, of course, the weight must be very variable in different 
animals, owing to the many breeds and sizes of cattle. 

The vessels that convey the blood from the heart to all parts of 
the body are called arteries; the vessels which return the blood ^to 
the heart are called veins. Between the ultimate ramifications of the 
arteries and the beginning of the veins there is an intermediate system 
of very minute vessels called capillaries, which connect the arterial 
Avith the venous system of the circulation. The walls of the arteries 
are possessed of a certain amount of rigidity, sufficient to keej) the 
tubes open when they are empty. 

The blood leaves the left ventricle thi-ough a single vessel, the com- 
mon aorta, which divides into the anterior and posterior aortas, which 
in turn give off the large arteries. 

The arteries divide and subdivide (like the branches of a tree), 
become smaller and smaller, and ultimately ramify into every part of 
the body, terminating in a network of very small tubes called capil- 
laries, which can only be recognized by the aid of a microscope. The 
capillaries terminate in veins. 

The veins take the blood from the capillaries in all parts of the body. 
They begin in very small tubes, which unite to become larger in size 
and less in number as they approach the heart. 

In its course an artery is usually accompanied by a vein and in many 
situations by a nerve. The more important arteries are placed deep 
within the body; but in those cases where they are superficial they 
are generally found where least exposed to injury, as, for example, on 
the inner side of the legs. Arteries are less numerous than veins, and 
the total cajpacity of the arteries is much less than that of the veins. 
A great number of veins are in the tissue immediately beneath the 
skin, and these are not generally accompanied by arteries. 

The blood throughout its course, in the heart, arteries, capillaries, 
and veins, is inclosed within these vessels. There is no opening into 
the course of the blood, except where the large Ij^mphatics emptj' into 
the venous blood. 

All the arteries, except the pulmonary arter}^ and its branches, 
carry bright-red blood, and all the veins, except the pulmonary veins, 



72 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

carry dark-red blood. The impure dark-red blood is collected from 
the capillary vessels and carried to the right auricle bj' the veins ; it 
passes down into the right ventricle and thence into the pulmonary 
artery, and through its branches to the capillaries of the lungs, where 
the carbonic-acid gas andother impurities are given up to the air in the 
air cells of the lungs (through the thin walls between the capillaries 
and the air cells), and where it also absorbs from the air the oxygen 
gas necessary to sustain life, which changes it to the bright-red, pure 
blood. It passes from the capillaries to the branches of the pulmonary 
veins, which convey it to the left auricle of the heart; it then passes 
through the auriculo-ventricular opening into the left ventricle, the 
contraction of which forces it through the common aorta into the pos- 
terior and anterior aortas, and through all the arteries of the body 
into the capillaries, where it i)arts with its oxj^gen and nutritive ele- 
ments and M'here it absorbs carbonic-acid gas and becomes dark col- 
ored. (See theoretical diagram of the circulation, PI. VII.) 

The branches of certain arteries in different parts unite again after 
subdividing. This reuniting is called anastomosing, and assures a 
quota of blood to a part if one of the anastomosing arteries should be 
tied in case of hemorrhage, or should be destroyed by accident or 
operation. 

BLOOD. 

The various kinds of food, after being digested in the alimentary 
canal, are absorbed and carried into the blood by the lymphatics, and ' 
by the blood to the places where nutrition is required. The blood 
takes from all parts of the body all that is useless and no longer 
required, and carries it to the different organs where it is eliminated 
from the body. It contains within itself all the elements which nour- 
ish the body. 

The blood may be considered a fluid holding in solution certain 
inorganic elements and having certain bodies suspended in it. To 
facilitate description, the blood may be considered as being made up 
of the corpuscles and the liquor sanguinis. The corpuscles are of 
two kinds, the red and the white, the red being the most numerous. 
The color of the blood is due to the coloring matter in the red cor- 
puscles. The red corpuscles are the oxygen carriers. Both kinds 
are very minute bodies, which require the aid of the microscoj^e to 
recognize them. The liquor sanguinis is composed of water contain- 
ing in solution salts, albumen, and the elements of fibrin. 

The lymphatics, or absorbents, are the vessels which carry the lymph 
and chj'le in the blood. They begin as capillaries in all parts of the 
body, gradually uniting to form larger trunks. Placed along the 
course of the Ij-raphatic vessels are glands, and in some situations 
these glands are collected into groups; for example, in the groin, etc. 
These glands are often involved in inflammation arising from the 
absorption of deleterious matter. 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 73 

Absorption is the function of the lymphatics. The liquor sanguinis 
passes from the blood capillaries to supply nutrition to the tissues. 
All excess of the liquor sanguinis that is not required is absorbed by 
the lymphatic vessels and convej'ed back to the blood by the lym- 
phatic ducts. The lymphatics which proceed from the intestines con- 
vey the chyle into the blood during digestion. As a rule, the lym- 
phatic vessels follow the course of the veins. All of the absorbent 
vessels convey their contents to the thoracic duct and right great 
lymphatic vein, which empty into the anterior vena cava, where the 
lymph and chyle mix with the venous blood, and thus maintain the 
supply of nutritive elements in the blood. 

PULSE. 

As fully explained, the heart pumps the blood throughout the arte- 
rial system. The arteries are always full and each contraction of 
the ventricle pumps more blood into them, which distends their elastic 
walls and sends a wave along them which gradually becomes less per- 
ceptible as it nears the very small arteries, and is lost before the 
capillaries are reached. This wave constitutes the pulse. The sen- 
sation or impression given to the finger when placed upon the artery 
shows the force exerted bj^ the heart and some important facts con- 
cerning the condition of the circulation. In cattle the average num- 
ber of pulsations in a minute (in adults) is from 50 to 60. The pulse 
is faster than normal after exercise, excitement, on hot days, from 
pain, and as a result of fullness of the stomach. In old animals it is 
slower than in the young and in males slightly slower than in females. 
Ib fevers and inflammations and in local diseases of the heart the 
pulse rate is increased. If the rate is greater than 100 or 110 to the 
minute the outlook for recovery is not good. 

Other variations of the pulse are known as infrequent pulse, which 
means that the number of pulsations in a given time is less than nor- 
mal. The irregular or the intermittent pulse is when the pulsations 
do not follow in regular order. The large pulse and the small pulse 
refer to the volume of the pulse, which may be larger or smaller than 
usual. The strong pulse and the feeble pulse refer to the strength or 
weakness of the pulsation. The pulse is said to be hard when the 
vessel feels hard and incompressible. The soft pulse is the reverse 
of the hard one. By dicrotic pulse is meant that kind of pulsation 
which makes each beat seem double, and therefore it is generally 
called the double pulse. 

The venous or "jugular pulse" is the pulsation so frequently 
observed in the jugular vein of cattle. It is particularly noticeable 
while they are ruminating — "chewing the cud." It is not always 
associated with disease, but may be a sj^mptom of some disease of the 
heart; in such cases the jugular pulse is continuous. 

The location selected for feeling the pulse in cattle is where the sub- 
maxillary artery winds around the lower jaw bones, just at the lower 



74 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

edge of the flat muscle on the side of the cheek; or, if the cow is lying 
down, the metacarpal artery on the back part of the fore fetlock is 
very convenient for the purpose. 

THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART. 

Corresponding with the beats of the heart two sounds are emitted, 
which are of a definite type in health}^ animals. The first is pro- 
duced by the contraction of the heart and the flow of blood out of it; 
the second is caused by the rebound of blood in the aorta and the 
closure of the valves that prevent it from flowing backward into the 
heart, whence it came. The first sound is the longer and louder of 
the two, though of low pitch. The second sound is sharper and 
shorter, and is not always easy to hear in cattle. There is a brief 
interval between them. 

To appreciate these sounds, the ear is placed against the left side of 
the chest, a little above the point where the elbow rests when the 
animal is standing in a natural position and about oj)posite the sixth 
rib. The heart sounds are both reduced in intensitj^ when the animal 
is weak or when the heart is forced away from the chest wall by col- 
lections of fluid or by tubercular or other growths. Nonrhj^thmical 
heart sound is often caused by pericarditis or by disease of the 
valves. It may also be due to overfilling of the heart upon the right 
side, as occurs in severe congestion of the lungs and in some febrile 
diseases. 

In pericarditis scraping, rubbing, or splashing sounds may be heard, 
entirely apart from the two normal sounds above described. 

The impulse of the heart, as felt by placing the hand against the 
chest, is of some consequence in arriving at a conclusion in respect to 
disease of the heart; but it must be remembered that the impulse 
may be very much increased by diseases other than those of the heart, 
as, for example, infiammation of various organs, severe pains, etc. 
The impulse may also be increased (when disease does not exist) by 
work, exercise, fright, or anj^ cause of excitement, or, in general, by 
anj^thing that causes acceleration of the pulse. 

The impulse of the heart may be felt and the sounds may be heard 
fairly well in lean cattle, but in fat ones it is difficult and often 
impossible to detect either impulse or sound with anj^ degree of satis- 
faction, 

PALPITATION. 

When the impulse of the heart is excessive — that is, when it beats 
more or less tumultuously — the familiar expression ' ' palpitation of the 
heart" is applied; and by many it is called "thumps." The hand or 
ear placed against the chest easily detects the unnatural beating. In 
some cases it is so violent that the motion may be seen at a distance. 
Palpitation is but a symptom, and in many instances not connected 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 75 

with disease of the structure of the heart or its membranes. An 
animal badly frightened may have palpitation. "When it comes on 
suddenly and soon passes away, it depends on some cause other than 
disease of the heart; but when it is gradually manifested, and becomes 
constant, although more pronounced at one time than another, heart 
disease may be suspected, especially if other symptoms of heart dis- 
ease are present. 

INJURY TO THE HEART BY FOREIGN BODIES. 

Cattle are addicted to the habit of chewing and swallowing many 
objects not intended as articles of food. Every veterinarian of exije- 
rience has met with instances to remind him of this, and it is well 
known to butchers. Among the great variety of things that have 
thus found their way into the stomachs of cattle the following have 
been noticed : Finger rings, knitting needles, old shoes, table knives, 
wood, pieces of leather, pieces of wire, buttons, hairpins, brushes, 
nails, coins, etc. The more sharply pointed objects sometimes pene- 
trate the wall of the stomach, during which they may or may not 
cause enough irritation of the stomach to produce indigestion, gradu- 
ally work their way through the diaphragm toward the heart, pierce 
the pericardium (bag inclosing the heart), wound the heart, and 
prove fatal to the animal. Cases are recorded in which the foreign 
body has actually worked its way into one of the cavities of the heart. 
However, instances are known in which the object took a different 
course, and finally worked its way toward the surface and was 
extracted from the wall of the chest. While it is possible that the 
object may pierce the wall at different parts of the alimentary canal, 
as it frequently does that of the rumen (paunch), it is thought that 
in the great majority of cases it passes through the wall of the reticu- 
lum (smaller honeycombed compartment, or second stomach) and is 
drawn toward the heart by the suction-like action of the chest. Post- 
mortem examinations have demonstrated the course it pursued, as 
adhesions and other results of the inflammation it caused were plainly 
to be seen. All manner of symptoms may precede those showing 
involvement of the heart, depending upon the location of the foreign 
body and the extent of inflammation caused by it. Severe indigestion 
may occur; stiffness and difficulty in moving about, due to the prods 
of the sharp body following muscular contraction; pain on j)ressure 
over the front, lower, and right sides of the abdomen; coughing and 
difficult, quick breathing. In most cases the foreign body does not 
penetrate to the heart, nor even to the pericardium. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are as follows: The animal is disin- 
clined to move actively, the step is restricted and cautious, sudden 
motion causes grunting, the attitude is constrained, the feet are 
drawn somewhat together, the back is arched, the face has an anxious 
expression. If the disease is of some days' standing, there is likely to 



76 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

be soft swelling (edema) beneath the neck, in the dewlap, and under the 
chest, between the fore legs. Breathing is short and difficult; it may 
clearly be painful. The pulse is rapid, 80 to 120 per minute. The mus- 
cles quiver as though the animal were cold. Rumination and appetite 
are depressed or checked. The dung is hard, and to void it appears 
to cause pain. These symptoms usually develop gradually', and, of 
course, they vary considerably in different animals, depending upon 
the size and location of the foreign body and the irritation caused hy it. 
As a matter of course, treatment in such cases is useless, but when 
it is possible to diagnose the case correctly the animal could be turned 
over to the butcher before the flesh becomes unfit for use; that is, 
before there is more than a little suppuration and before there is 
fever. Knowing that cattle are prone to swallow such objects, ordi- 
narj'^ care may be exercised in keeping their surroundings as free of 
them as possible. 

PERICARDITIS. 

Inflammation of the pericardium (heart bag) is often associated 
Avith pneumonia and pleurisy, rheumatism, and other constitutional 
diseases, or with an injury. It also occurs as an independent affec- 
tion, due to causes similar to those of other chest affections, as expos- 
ure to cold or dampness and changes of the weather. 

Sijmptoms. — It may be ushered in with a chill, followed by fever, of 
more or less severity; the animal stands still and dull, with head 
hanging low, and anxiety expressed in its countenance. The pulse 
may be large, perhaps hard ; there is also a venous pulse. The hand 
against the chest will feel the beating of the heart, which is often 
irregular, sometimes violent, and in other instances weak, depending 
in part upon the amount of fluid that has transuded into the peri- 
cardial sac. Legs are cold, the breathing quickened, and usually 
abdominal; if the left side of the chest be pressed on or struck, the 
animal evinces pain. There may be spasms of the muscles in the 
region of the breast, neck, or hind legs. After a time, which varies in 
length, the legs may become swollen, and swelling may also appear 
under the chest and brisket. 

In those animals in which the heart sounds may be heard somewhat 
distinctly, the ear applied against the chest will detect a to-and-fro 
friction sound, corresponding to the beats ef the heart. This sound 
is produced by the rubbing of the internal surface of the heart bag 
against the external surface of the heart. During the first stages of 
the inflammation these surfaces are dry, and the rubbing of one 
against the other during the contraction and relaxation of the heart 
produces this sound. The dry stage is followed by the exudation of 
fluid into the heart sac, and the friction is not heard until the fluid 
is absorbed sufficiently to allow the surfaces to come in contact again. 
But during the time tlie friction sound is lost a sound which has been 
called a "churning noise" may take its place. 



I 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 77 

The friction sound of pericarditis can not be mistaken for the fric- 
tion sound of pleurisy if the examination is a careful one, because 
in the heart affection the sound is made in connection with the heart 
beats, while in the pleuritic affection the sound is synchronous with 
each respiration or breath of air taken in and expelled from the lungs. 

Treatment. — When pericarditis is complicated with rheumatism or 
other diseases the latter must be treated as directed in the description 
of them. The animal must be kept in a quiet, comfortable place, 
where it will be free from excitement. Warm clothing should be applied 
to the body and the legs should be hand- rubbed until the circulation in 
them is reestablished, and then snugly bandaged. The food should 
be nutritive and in moderate quantity. Bleeding should not be per- 
formed unless the case is in the hands of an expert. 

At the beginning, give as a purgative Epsom salts — 1 i^ound to an 
average-sized cow — dissolved in about a quart of warm water and 
administered as a drench. When there is much pain, 2 ounces of lau- 
danum may be given, diluted with a pint of water, every three hours, 
until relief is given. Do not give the laudanum unless demanded by 
the severity of the pain, as it tends to constipation. Give one-half 
ounce of nitrate of potassium (saltpeter), dissolved in drinking water, 
four or five times a day. After the attack has abated, mustard mixed 
with water may be rubbed well over the left side of the chest to stim- 
ulate the absorption of the fluid contained within the pericardium. 
The other medicines may be discontinued and the following adminis- 
tered: Sulphate of iron, 2 ounces; powdered gentian, 6 ounces; mix 
and make eight powders. Give one powder everyday at noon, mixed 
with food, if the animal will eat it, or shaken up with water in a bot- 
tle as a drench. Also the following: Iodide of potassium, 2 ounces; 
nitrate of potassium, 8 ounces ; mix and make sixteen powders. Give 
one in drinking water or in drench every morning and evening. The 
last two prescriptions may be continued for several weeks if necessary. 

If at any time during the attack much weakness is manifested, give 
the following drench every three hours: Spirits of nitrous ether, 3 
ounces; rectified spirits, 4 ounces; water, 1 pint; mix and give as a 
drench. 

In extreme cases tapping the pericardium with a trocar and canula 
to draw off the fiuid is resorted to, but the operation requires exact 
anatomical knowledge. 

After death from pericarditis there is always more or less fluid found 
in the jjericardium ; the surfaces are rough and covered with a yellow- 
colored exudate. There are also, in many cases, adhesions, to a greater 
or less extent, between the heart and pericardium. 

MYOCARDITIS. 

Inflammation of the muscular structure of the heart occurs in lim- 
ited, circumscribed areas, as evidenced by postmortem examination, 



78 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and it is probably always somewhat involved in connection with peri- 
carditis and endocarditis. It may readily be inferred that if the 
whole organ were inflamed death would ensue immediately. Usually 
myocarditis results from the preexistence of blood i^oisoning or some 
infectious febrile disease. 

Symptoms. — The chief symptoms are those of heart weakness. The 
heart beat is fast, weak, and often irregular. Respiration is difficult 
and rapid. There is great general weakness and depression. Death 
comes on suddenly. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists in supporting the animal bj' the 
use of stimulants, such as alcohol, ammonia, cofi'ee, digitalis, camphor, 
etc. Complete quiet must be provided, and the general care should 
be as in pericarditis. 

ENDOCARDITIS. 

When the membrane which lines the cavities of the heart — the endo- 
cardium — suffers inflammation, the disease is called endocarditis. The 
cause is another disease, during which there is produced and admit- 
ted into the circulation substances that irritate the lining of the heart. 
These substances are usually living organisms, or it is possible that 
in some cases they are chemical irritants. Endocarditis occurs as a 
complication or sequel to pneumonia, blood poisoning, inflammation 
of the womb, rheumatism, or severe wounds or abscesses. The symp- 
toms are much the same as those of pericarditis, and it is difficult to 
discriminate between the two affections. There is a jugular pulse, 
the legs may become dropsical, and there is a tendency to faint if the 
head is elevated suddenly. The bellows-like sound is more distinct 
than it is in pericarditis. It is the most fatal of heart diseases, 
because of the liability of the formation of clots, which may adhere 
to the valves, change in the structure of the valves, and often a com- 
plication with an abnormal condition of the blood. Clots may be 
formed in the heart, and, being carried to other parts, prove fatal by 
interrupting the circulation in some vital organ. 

Similar treatment to that advised for myocarditis may be followed 
in this disease. 

VALVES OF THE HEART. 

The valves are subject to abnormal growths and structural changes 
in chronic endocarditis or as a result of acute endocarditis. Some- 
times valves are torn by sudden extreme muscular effort, or an abnor- 
mality may be congenital. Cases are also reported in which thej" have 
been found ruptured. 

Symptoms. — The general symptoms are those of heart weakness, 
accompanied by congestion of the lungs and edema. 

Treatm,ent. — Relief is sometimes afforded, but usually temporarily, 
by the use of stimulants, especially digitalis. 



DISEASES OF HEAET, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 79 
RUPTURE OF THE HEART. 

Sudden effort, blows, or disease may lead to rupture of the heart of 
the ox. The first cause does not operate so often in cattle as in horses. 
Tuberculosis or ulceration from other causes, such as a foreign body, 
is the most common source of this accident. Rupture is shown by 
sudden fainting, followed very shortlj'^ by death. 

HYPERTROPHY AND DILATATION OF THE HEART. 

This is an enlargement of the heart, and may consist of the thicken- 
ing of tlie walls alone, or at the same time the cavities may be either 
enlarged or diminished in size. Dilatation of the cavities has been 
noticed as existing independently of thickened walls. In hj'^pertrophy 
the sounds of the heart are loud and pronounced, and may be heard 
on both sides of the chest distinctly, and palpitation occurs to a 
greater or less extent. Luckily both conditions are very rare in cattle. 

ATROPHY. 

Atrophy is the technical term for wasting of the muscular tissue. 
Atrophy of the heart is very rare among cattle, and is usually a result 
of other diseases. 

FATTY DEGENERATION OF THE HEART. 

This condition of the heart is met with in some cattle that are very 
fat, but it must be understood that the accumulation of fat around 
the heart is not referred to by this designation. In fatty degenera- 
tion the elements of the muscular tissue are replaced by fatty or oily 
granules. The muscle becomes weak, the heart contractions are 
insufficient, and heart weakness is shown by general weakness, short- 
ness of breath, and weak, rapid pulse. 

CYANOSIS. 

Owing to the most prominent symptom, this condition is also called 
"blue disease." It is seen occasionally in new-born calves. It is 
recognized by the blue color of the mucous membrane (easily seen by 
looking within the mouth and nostrils), the coldness of the surface of 
the body, and rapid, labored breathing. It is due to nonclosure of 
the foramen ovale, connecting the right with the left side of the heart, 
and the consequent mixing of the venous with the arterial blood. 
Calves so affected live but a short time. 

MISPLACEMENT OF THE HEART. 

Cases are recorded in which the heart has been found out of its 
natural position, sometimes located outside of the chest. This is a 
congenital condition, for which there is no remedy. A heifer calf 



80 DISEASES OP CATTLE. 

with the heart entirely outside of the thoracic cavity and contained 
beneath the skin in the lower part of the neck was kept at the veteri- 
nary hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for two years, during 
which time it matured into a well-developed cow. 

WOUNDS OF ARTERIES AND VEINS. 

When a blood vessel is opened it may be told at a glance whether 
it is an artery or a vein by simply bearing in mind that bright- red 
blood comes from arteries and dark-red from veins. When a vein or 
a very small artery is severed the blood flows from the vessel in a con- 
tinuous and even stream, but when one of the larger arteries is severed 
the blood comes from it in intermitting jets, or spurts, corresponding 
to the beats of the heart. It is well to call attention to the fact that 
the dark-red blood which flows or oozes from a wound soon becomes 
bright-red, because it gives up its carbonic-acid gas to the air, and 
absorbs oxygen gas from the air, which is exactl}^ the change it under- 
goes in the capillaries of the lungs. 

The general treatment of wounds will be found in another section; 
here it is only necessary to refer briefly to some of the most practical 
methods used to arrest hemorrhages, as instances occur where an 
animal may lose much strength from the loss of blood, or even bleed 
to death unless action is prompt. 

BLEEDING (HEMORRHAGE). 

The severity of a hemorrhage depends upon the size of the vessel 
from which the blood escapes, though it may be stated that it is more 
serious when arteries are severed. If the wound in an artery is in the 
direction of its length, the blood escapes more freely than if the vessel 
is completel}^ severed, because in the latter instance the severed ends 
retract, curl in, and may aid very much in arresting the flow. When 
the blood merely oozes from the wound, and even in cases where it 
flows in a small stream, the forming of the clot arrests the hemorrhage 
in a comparatively short time. 

Slight hemorrhages may be checked by the continuous application 
to the wound of cold water, ice, or snow, as cold causes contraction of 
the small vessels. The water may be thrown on a wound from a hose, 
or dashed on it from the hand or a cup, or folds of cotton cloths may 
be held on the wound and kept wet. Ice or snow may be held against 
the wound, or they may be put in a bag and conveniently secured in 
position. 

Hot water of an average temperature of 115° to 120° F. injected into 
the vagina or womb is often efficient in arresting hemorrhages from 
those organs. Tow, raw cotton, lint, or sponges may be forced into a 
wound and held or bound there with bandages. This is an excellent 
method for checking the flow of blood until the arrival of an expert. 
If the flow persists, these articles may be saturated with tincture of iron, 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 81 

but it is i40t advisable to use the tincture of iron if it can be avoided, 
as it is a caustic, and retards healing by causing a slough. The arti- 
cles may be saturated with vinegar in cases of necessity, or tannic acid 
or alum dissolved in water maybe used instead. The article (which- 
ever is used) should be left in the wound sufficiently long to make sure 
that its removal will not be followed by a renewal of the hemorrhage. 
It must remain there one or two days in some instances. 

An iron heated until it is white and then pressed on the bleeding ves- 
sel for three or four seconds is occasionally used. It should be at white 
heat and applied for a moment only, or else the charred tissue will 
come away with the iron and thus defeat the purpose of its application. 

Compression may be applied in different ways, but only the most 
convenient will be mentioned. To many wounds bandages may easily 
be applied. The bandages may be made of linen, muslin, etc., suffi- 
ciently wide and long, according to the nature of the wound and the 
region to be bandaged. Bed sheets torn in strips the full length make 
excellent bandages for this purpose. Cotton batting, tow, or a piece 
of sponge may be placed on the wound and firmly bound there with 
the bandages. 

In many instances ligating the vessel is necessary. A ligature is a 
piece of thread or string tied around the vessel. Ligating is almost 
entirely confined to arteries. Veins are not ligated unless very large 
(and even then only when other means are not available) on account 
of the danger of phlebitis, or i*iflammation of a vein. The ligature is 
tied around the end of the artery, but in some instances this is diffi- 
cult, and it is necessary to include some of the adjacent tissue, although 
care should be taken that a nerve is not included. To apply a liga- 
ture, it is necessary to have artery forceps (tweezers or small pincers 
may suffice) by which to draw out the artery in order to tie the string 
around it. To grasp the vessel it may be necessary to sponge the 
blood from the wound so that the end will be exposed. In case the 
end of the bleeding artery has retracted, a sharp-pointed hook, called 
a tenaculum, is used to draw it out far enough to tie. The ligature 
should be drawn tightly, so that the middle and internal coats will be 
cut through. 

Another method of checking hemorrhage is called torsion. It con- 
sists in catching the end of the bleeding vessel, drawing it out a little, 
and then twisting it around a few times with the forceps, which lacer- 
ates the internal coats so that a check is effected. This is very effec- 
tual in small vessels, and is to be preferred to ligatures, because it 
leaves no foreign body in the wound. A needle or pin may be stuck 
through the edges of a wound, and a string passed around between the 
free ends and the skin (PL XXVIII, fig. 10), or it may be passed 
around hi the form of a figure 8, as is often done in the operation of 
bleeding from the jugular vein. 

8267—04 6 



82 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ANEURISM. . 

A circumscribed dilatation of an artery, constituting a tumor which 
pulsates synchronously with the beats of the heart, is called aneurism. 
It is due to disease and rupture of one or two of the arterial coats. 
The true aneurism communicates with the interior of the artery and 
contains coagulated blood. They are so deeply seated in cattle that 
treatment is out of the question. These abnormalities are due to 
severe exertion, to old age, to fatty or calcareous degeneration, or to 
parasites in the blood vessels. Death is sudden when due to the rup- 
ture of an aneurism of a large artery, owing to internal hemorrhage. 
Sometimes spontaneous recovery occurs. As a rule no symptoms are 
caused in cattle by the presence of deep-seated aneurisms, and their 
presence is not suspected until after death. 

A false aneurism results from blood escaping from a wounded arterj'- 
into the adjacent tissue, where it clots, and the wound, remaining 
open in the artery, causes pulsation in the tumor. 

THROMBOSIS (OBSTRUCTION) OF THE ARTERIES. 

Arteries become obstructed as a result of wounds and other injuries 
to them, as those resulting from the formation of an abscess or the 
extension of inflammation from surrounding structures to the coats 
of an artery. Arteries are also obstructed by the breaking off of pai*- 
ticles of a plug or clot, partly obstructing the aorta or other large 
artery. These small pieces (emboli) are floated to an artery that is 
too small to permit them to pass and are there securely held, produc- 
ing obstruction. Such obstructions are shown by loss of power in the 
muscles supplied by the obstructed artery and by excitation of the 
heart and respiration after exercise. The loss of power may not come 
into evidence until after exercise. 

Symptoms. — While standing still or when walking slowly the ani- 
mal may appear to be normal, but after more active exercise a group 
of muscles, a leg, or both hind legs, may be handled with difiicultj^, 
causing lameness, and later there is practically a local paralysis. 
These symptoms disappear with rest. In some cases the collateral cir- 
culation develops in time, so that the parts receive sufficient blood 
and the symptoms disappear. 

INFLAMMATION OP VEINS (PHLEBITIS). 

When bleeding is performed without proper care or with unclean 
fleam or lancet, inflammation of the vein may result, or it may be 
caused by the animal rubbing the wound against some object. When 
inflammation follows the operation, the coats of the vein become 
enlarged; so much so that the vessel may be felt hard and knotted 
beneath tlie skin, and when pressed on pain is evinced. A thin, watery 
discharge, tinged with blood, issues from the wound. When the pin 



DISEASES OF HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 83 

is taken out it is found that the wound has not healed. The blood 
becomes coagulated in the vessel. In inflammation of the jugular the 
coagulation extends from the wound upward to the first large branch. 
Abscesses may form along the course of the vein. The inflammation 
is followed by obliteration of that part in which coagulation exists. 
This.is of small import, as cattle have an accessory jugular vein which 
gradually enlarges and accommodates itself to the increased quantity 
of blood it must carry. 

Treatment. — The treatment for inflammation of the vein is to clip 
the hair from along the course of the affected vessel and apply a 
blister, the cerate of cantharides. Abscesses should be opened as 
soon as they form, because there is a possibility of the pus getting 
into the circulation. 

In the operation of bleeding the instruments should be clean and 
free from rust. If the skin is not sufficiently opened, or when closing 
the wound the skin is drawn out too much, blood may accumulate in 
the tissue, and if it does it should be removed by pressing absorbent 
cotton or a sponge on the part. Care should also be used in opening 
the vein, so that the instrument does not pass entirely through both 
sides of the vein and open the artery beneath it. (See ' ' Bleeding, or 
Blood-letting," p. 290.) 



DISEASES OF THE HEART, BLOOD VESSELS, AND LYMPHATICS. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE. 

Plate VII: 

Diagram illustrating the circulation of the blood. The arrows indicate the 
direction in which the blood flows. The valves of the heart, situated 
between the right auricle and ventricle, and left auricle and ventricle, 
and between the ventricles and large arteries, are represented by curved 
lines. These valves are intended to prevent the flow of blood in a direc- 
tion contrary to that indicated by the arrows. 

84 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate VII. 




NOJ^CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF THE ORGANS 
OF RESPIRATION. 

By Dr. William Herbert Lowe, 

State Veterinarian of New Jersey; President of the State Board of Veterinary 
Medical Examiners of Neiv Jer'sey; Former Superintendent of the Animal Quar- 
antine Station for the port of Neiv YorJc. 

[Revised in 1904 by the author.l 

In the determination of disease in the human being the physician is 
aided by both subjective and objective symptoms in making his diag- 
nosis ; but the veterinary physician, in a very large majority of cases, 
is obliged to rely almost solely upon objective symptoms, and perhaps 
in no class of diseases is this more true than in the exploration of those 
under consideration. This condition of affairs has a strong tendency to 
develop observation and discernment in the veterinarian, and not infre- 
quently do we find that the successful veterinary practitioner is a very 
accurate diagnostician. But in order to make a differential diagnosis 
it is not only necessary to have a knowledge of the structure and func- 
tions of the organs in health, but to adopt a rigid system of details of 
examination, without which successful results can not be reached. 

History. — The history of a case should always be ascertained so far 
as possible. The information obtained is sometimes unsatisfactory 
and not to be depended upon, but even when such is the case it is 
advisable to weigh the evidence from every point of view. 

In connection with the history of every case it is always of primary 
importance to ascertain the cause of illness. A knowledge of the 
origin and development of a disease is important, both in making a 
diagnosis and in formulating the treatment. Exposure to cold and 
dampness is frequently the exciting cause of affections of the organs 
of respiration. 

The experienced practitioner is always sure to ascertain whether the 
particular animal he is called on to attend is the only one in the stable 
or on the premises that is similarly affected. If several animals are 
similarly affected the disease may have a common cause, which may 
or may not be of an infectious nature. 

Another thing that the experienced practitioner ascertains is what 
previous treatment, if any, the animal has had. Medicine given in 
excessive doses sometimes produces symptoms resembling those of 

disease. 

85 



86 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

The hygienic and sanitary conditions have always to be considered 
in connection with the cause as well as the treatment of disease. 
Much of the disease which occurs in large dairies, as well as else- 
where, could be prevented if owners and those in charge of animals 
had proper regard for the fundamental laws of animal hygiene and 
modern sanitation. Disregard for these laws is the cause of most of 
the diseases under consideration in this chapter. 

Attitude and general condition. — The feeling of pain in animals 
suffering from serious affections of the organs of respiration is 
expressed to the close observer in no uncertain language — by their 
flinching when the painful part is touched ; by the care with which 
they move or lie down; by walking or standing to "favor" the part; 
by the general attitude and expression of the eye ; by the distress and 
suffering apparent in the face of the sick animal; and by other 
evidences. 

The general physical condition and attitude of the sick animal tell 
much to the careful observer that aids him in making a diagnosis and 
prognosis. Cows suffering from affections of the organs of respira- 
tion usually assume a position or attitude that is characteristic, well 
known to experienced stockmen as well as to veterinarians. When 
an animal has a fever or is suffering from an inflammation, the skin 
is one of the first parts of the body to undergo a change that is 
apparent to the average observer. The skin soon loses its elasticity 
and tone and the hair becomes dry and staring. 

From the general condition or state of nutrition one is able to judge 
the effect that the disease has already had upon the animal and to 
estimate the amount of strength remaining available for its restora- 
tion to health ; from the amount of emaciation one can approximate as 
to the length of time the animal has been ill. The age and breed of 
the animal, as well as its constitution and temperament, are among the 
things that have to be taken into account in making a diagnosis and 
in overcoming the disease. 

The mucous rnemhrane. — The mucous membrane should in all cases 
be examined. It can be readilj^ seen by everting the eyelids or by 
an inspection of the lining membrane of the nostrils. 

Paleness of the mucous membrane indicates weak circulation or 
poor blood. It may result from inappropriate food, from disease, or 
from hemorrhage. 

In healthy animals increased redness of the mucous membrane 
occurs from pain, excitement, severe exertion, and in such instances 
is always transitory. In certain pathological conditions, such as fevers 
and inflammation, this condition of the mucous membrane will also be 
found. The increased redness of the mucous membrane lasts during 
the duration of the fever or inflammation. 

A bluish or blue mucous membrane indicates that the blood is 
imperfectl}' oxidized, and contains an excess of carbon dioxide, and 



NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 87 

is seen in serious diseases of tlie respiratory tract, such as i^neiimonia 
and in heart failure. 

The secretions. — The secretions maybe either diminished, increased, 
or perverted. In the early stage of an inflammation of a secretory 
organ its secretion is diminished. In the early stage of pleurisy the 
serous membrane is dry, and as the disease advances the membrane 
becomes unnaturally moist. The products of secretion are some- 
times greatly changed in character from the secretion in health, 
becoming excessively irritant and yielding evidence of chemical and 
other alterations in the character of the secretion. 

Cough. — Cough depends upon a reflex nervous action, and vasiy be 
primary when the irritation exists in the lungs or air passages, or sec- 
ondary when due to irritation of the stomach, intestines, or other 
parts having nervous communications with the respiratory apparatus. 
A cough is said to be dry, moist, harsh, hollow, difficult, paroxysmal, 
suppressed, sympathetic, etc., according to its character. Cough is 
a YQvy important symptom, often being diagnostic in diseases of the 
respiratory organs; but this is a subject which can be more satisfac- 
torily treated in connection with the Sfjecial diseases of the organs in 
question. 

Respiration. — In making an examination of an animal observe the 
depth, frequency, quickness, facility, and the nature of the respira- 
tory movements. They may be quick or slow, frequent or infrequent, 
deep or imperfect, labored, unequal, irregular, etc., each of which has 
its significance to the educated and experienced veterinarian. 

Sleep, rumination, pregnancy in cows, etc., modify the respiratory 
movements even in health. Respiration consists of two acts — inspira- 
tion and expiration. The function of respiration is to take in oxygen 
from the atmospheric air, which is essential for the maintenance of 
life, and to exhale the deleterious gas known as "carbon dioxide." 

The frequency of the respiratory movements is determined by 
observing the motions of the nostrils or of the flanks. The normal 
rate of respiration for a healthy animal of the bovine species is from 
fifteen to eighteen times per minute. The extent of the respiratory 
system renders it liable to become affected by contiguity to many 
parts, and its nervous connections are very important. 

Rapid, irregular, or difficult breathing is known as dyspnea, and 
the animal in all such cases has difficulty in obtaining the amount of 
oxygen that it requires. Among the conditions that give rise to dysp- 
nea may be mentioned restricted area of active lung tissue, due to 
filling of portions of the lungs with inflammatory exudate, as in pneu- 
monia; painful movements of the chest, as in rheumatism or pleurisy; 
fluid in the chest cavitj^, as in hydrothorax; adhesions between the 
lungs and chest walls; compression of the lungs or loss of elasticity; 
excess of carbon dioxide in the blood; weakness of the respiratory 
passages ; tumors of the nose and paralysis of the throat ; swellings of 



88 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the throat; foreign bodies and constriction of the air passages leading 
to the lungs; fevers, etc. 

As already alluded to, it is only the careful and constant examina- 
tion of animals in health that will enable one properly to appreciate 
abnormal conditions. One must become familiar with the frequency 
and character of the pulse and of the respirations, must know the tem- 
perature of the animal in health, before changes in abnormal condi- 
tions can be properly appreciated. 

Temperature. — The temperature should be taken in all cases of sick- 
ness. Experienced practitioners can approximate the patient's tem- 
perature with remarkable accuracy, but I would strongly recommend 
the use of the self -registering clinical thermometer, which is a most 
valuable instrument in diagnosing diseases. (See PI. Ill, fig. 1.) 
It is advisable that a tested instrument be procured, as some ther- 
mometers in the market are inaccurate and misleading. The proper 
place to insert the thermometer is in the rectum. The instrument 
should be rested against the walls of the cavity for about three min- 
utes. The normal temperature of the bovine is 101° F. to 102° F., 
which is higher than that of the horse. A cow breathes faster, her 
heart beats faster, and her internal temperature is higher than that 
of the horse. Ordinary physiological influences — such as exercise, 
digestion, etc. — give rise to slight variations of internal temperature; 
but if the temperature rises two or three degrees above the standard, 
some diseased condition is indicated. 

Pulse. — The pulse in a grown animal of the bovine species in a state 
of good health beats from forty-five to fifty-five times per minute. 
Exercise, fright, fear, excitement, overfeeding, pregnancy, and other 
physiological conditions, as well as disease, may affect the frequency 
and character of the pulse. It assumes various characters according 
to its rapidity of beat, frequency of occurrence, resistance to pres- 
sure, regularity, and perceptibility. Thus we have the quick and 
slow, frequent and infrequent, hard and soft, full and imperceptible, 
large and small pulses, the characters of which may be determined 
from their names; also that form known as the intermittent, either 
regular or irregular. We may have a dicrotic, or double, pulse; a 
thread}^ pulse, which is extremely small and scarcely perceptible; 
the venous, or jugular, pulse; the "running down" pulse, and so on. 
(See p. 73.) 

In cattle the pulse is conveniently felt over the submaxillary arte'ry 
where it winds around the lower jawbone, just at the lower edge of 
the flat muscle on the side of the cheek. If the cow is lying down the 
pulse may be taken from the metacarpal artery on the back part of the 
fore fetlock. The pulsations can be felt from any superficial artery, 
but in order to ascertain the j)eculiarities it is necessary to select an 
artery that may be pressed against a bone. There is a marked dif- 
ference in the normal or physiological pulse of the horse and that of 



NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF KESPIRATION ORGANS. 89 

the COW, that of the horse being full and rather tense, while in the 
cow it is soft and rolling. The pulse is faster in young and in old 
cattle than it is in those of middle age. 

Auscultation. — Auscultation and percussion are the chief methods 
employed to determine the various pathological changes that occur 
in the resj^iratory organs. Auscultation is the act of listening, and 
may be either mediate or immediate. Mediate auscultation is accom- 
plished by aid of an instrument known as the stethoscope, one 
extremity of which is applied to the ear and the other to the chest of 
the animal. In immediate auscultation the ear is applied directly to 
the part. Immediate auscultation will answer in a large majority of 
cases. Auscultation is resorted to in cardiac and certain abdominal 
diseases, but it is mainly employed for determining the condition of 
the lungs and air passages. Animals can not give the various phases 
of respiration on demand, as can the patients of the human practi- 
tioner. The organs themselves are less accessible than in man, 
owing to the greater bulk of tissue surrounding them and the pectoral 
position of the fore extremities, all of which render it more diffi'cult 
in determining pathological conditions. (See PL VIII.) 

The air going in and out of the lungs makes a certain soft, rustling 
sound, known as the vesicular murmur, which can be heard distinctly 
in a healthy state of the animal, especially upon inspiration. Exer- 
cise accelerates the rate of respiration and intensifies this sound. 
The vesicular murmur is only heard where the lung contains air and 
its function is active. The vesicular murmur is weakened as inflam- 
matory infiltration takes place and when the lungs are compressed by 
fluids in the thoracic cavity, and disappears when the lung becomes 
solidified in pneumonia or the chest cavity filled with fluid as in hydro- 
thorax. The bronchial murmur is a harsh, blowing sound, heard in 
normal conditions by applying the ear over the lower part of the 
trachea, and may be heard to a limited extent in the anterior portions 
of the lungs after severe exercise. The bronchial murmur when 
heard over other portions of the lungs generally signifies that the 
lung tissue has become more or less solidified or that fluid has col- 
lected in the chest cavity. 

Other sounds, known as mucous rales, are heard in the lungs in 
pneumonia after the solidified parts begin to break down at the end 
of the disease and in bronchitis where there is an excess of secretion, 
as well as in other conditions. Mucous rales are of a gurgling or 
bubbling nature. They are caused by air rushing through tubes con- 
taining secretions or pus. They are said to be large or small as they 
are distinct or indistinct, depending upon the quantity of fluid that 
is present and the size of the tubes in which the sound is produced. 
According to their character they are divided into dry and moist. 
The friction sound is produced by the rubbing together of roughened 
surfaces and is characteristic of pleurisy. 



90 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Percussion. — Percussion is that mode of examination by which we 
elicit sounds by striking or tapping over the part. It may be direct 
or indirect. If the middle finger of the left hand is placed firml}^ on 
the chest and smartly tapped or struck with the ends of the first three 
fingers of the right hand, the soundwill be noticed to be more reso- 
nant and clear than when the same procedure is practiced on a solid 
part of the body. This is because the lungs are not solid, but are 
always, in health, well expanded with air. But in certain pulmonar}^ 
diseases, as in pneumonia, they fill up and become solid, when the 
sound given out by percussing them is dull, like that on any other 
solid part of the animal. When fluid has collected in the lower part 
of the chest cavity the sound will also be dull on percussion. Where 
there is an excess of air in the chest cavity, as in emphysema or in 
pneumothorax, the percussion sound becomes abnormally loud and 
clear. By practice on healthy animals the character and boundaries 
of the sounds can be so well determined that any variations from them 
will be readily detected, and will sometimes disclose the presence of a 
diseased condition when nothing else will. 

Percus.sion is sometimes practiced with the aid of a special percus- 
sion hammer and an object to strike upon known as a pleximeter. A 
percussion hammer is made of rubber or has a rubber tip, so that 
when the pleximeter, which is placed against the side of the animal, 
is struck the impact will not be accompanied by a noise. A jjercus- 
sion hammer and pleximeter can be purchased from any veterinary 
instrument maker. 

CATARRH (cold IN THE HEAD). 

Nasal catarrh is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the 
nostrils and upper air passages. Simple catarrh is not a serious disease 
in itself, but if neglected is liable to be complicated with lar3'-ngitis, 
bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, and other diseases of the respiratory 
organs, which are of a serious nature and sometimes fatal. Catarrh 
is a common disease among cattle. It is often due to sudden expo- 
sure to wet and cold after they have been accustomed to shelter. It 
may arise from inhalation of irritating gases. It is sometimes due to 
certain specific atmospheric conditions, and may assume an enzootic 
form. It is very debilitating, and requires prompt and judicious 
treatment. 

Symptovis. — Redness of the mucous membranes of the nose, redness 
and watering of the eyes. The mucous membrane first becomes dry; 
afterwards a watery discharge appears, and later on in severe cases 
tlie discharge becomes mucopurulent. In mild cases there is little or 
no fever, but in severe cases the fever maj^ run high. The animal 
becomes dull, languid, and is not inclined to move about, and the 
appetite may become impaired; there is variable temperature of the 
liorns and ears. If in a cow giving milk, the secretion diminishes; 



NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 91 

the mucus from the eyes and nose becomes thicker and yellower. 
Afterwards, as the symptoms increase in severity, the discharge 
becomes mucopurulent. 

Treatment. — The animal should be housed in a well-ventilated place, 
with good hj'^gienic surroundings. In cold and damp weather it 
should be kept warm with blanketing. Give hot, medicated inha- 
lations in severe cases. If the fever is high this may be reduced by 
giving nitrate of potassium, from 1 to 2 ounces, in the drinking water, 
three times daily. Diffusible stimulants are beneficial in most cases. 
Too much importance can not be attached to good nursing. There is 
no necessity to resort to the old system of bleeding, purging, or the 
use of powerful sedatives. 

EPISTAXIS (bleeding FROM THE NOSE). 

Bleeding from the nostrils is rather rare in cattle. It may arise 
from anj^ one of a variety of causes, but usually results from disease 
or injury to the mucous membranes, or to violent exertions in cough- 
ing and sneezing. It is seldom serious. The bleeding generally occurs 
in drops from one nostril only, accompanied b}^ sneezing, and without 
frothing. Bleeding from the lungs comes from both nostrils, is bright 
red, frothy, and accompanied by a cough. 

Treatment. — In many cases the bleeding will cease spontaneously, 
and all that is necessary is to keep the animal quiet and bathe the 
head and nostrils with cold water. Ascertain the cause of the bleed- 
ing and be governed accordingly in the treatment. In severe and 
exceptional cases, where the hemorrhage is persistent and long con- 
tinued, tie the animal's head to a high rack or beam and apply cold 
water, ice, or have recourse to styptic injections. If the hemorrhage 
is profuse and persistent, give either a drench composed of 1^ drams 
of acetate of lead dissolved in a pint of water or 1^ drams of gallic 
acid dissolved in a pint of water. 

LARYNGITIS (SORE THROAT). 

Laryngitis consists of an inflammation of the mucous membrane 
lining the larynx. It may be either a primary or a secondarj^ disease, 
complicated or uncomplicated. In the majority of cases it is due to 
some form of exposure, a sudden change from warm to cold surround- 
ings, or exposure to cold storms. It may also arise from inhaling 
irritating gases. It may be the result of external violence. In an 
acute attack of laryngitis there is an elevation of temjperature, pain 
on pressure over the region of larynx, violent paroxysms of coughing, 
difficult and noisy respiration. The nostrils are dilated, the nose 
extended, and the animal has a frightened expression. Tliere is 
marked difficulty in swallowing. 

Treatment. — This consists of fomentations and hot aj;)plications 



92 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

over the throat. Stimulating liniments, mustard mixed with cold 
water and well rubbed in with a stiff brush, or other forms of counter- 
irritation may be applied in severe cases. Hot inhalations should be 
frequently resorted to, and often afford much relief to the suffering 
animal. In this disease medicines should be given so far as possible 
in the form of electuaries {soft solid), on account of the difficulty of 
deglutition. Large drafts of medicines have a tendency to produce 
violent spells of coughing, and in this way retard recovery. The 
subjoined formula for an electuary will be found to answer the pur- 
pose in ordinary cases: Chlorate of potassium, pulverized, 8 ounces; 
fluid extract of belladonna, 2 ounces; powdered opium, 1 ounce; pow- 
dered licorice root, 8 ounces; sirup, sufficient quantity; mix. At 
frequent intervals place a small tablespoonful of the mixture on the 
tongue or back teeth. Or the following may be used instead: Aloes, 
powdered opium, and gum camphor in equal parts; mix. Rub an 
ounce on the molar teeth every four or five hours. The bowels should 
be kept open and the diet should be such as the patient can easily 
swallow. Warm, sloppy mashes, boiled oatmeal gruel, linseed tea, 
and the like are the most suitable substances. If suffocation be 
threatened during the course of the disease tracheotomy should 
be performed without delay. The details of the operation are fully 
described under the head of "Surgical operations." (See p. 292.) 

When the disease assumes a chronic form strong counterirritation 
is indicated, A cantharides blister may be applied, or the following 
ointment maybe used: Biniodide of mercury 1 part, lard 6 parts; 
mix. In some cases it will be found necessary to repeat the above 
application. 

BRONCHITIS, 

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the 
bronchial tubes. When a primary disease it is generally the result 
of what is commonly known as "catching cold." It may be secondary 
to or complicated with many of the diseases of the respiratory system. 
It may also be caused by breathing irritating gases; or by the intro- 
duction of foreign bodies into the bronchial tubes, which sometimes 
results from injudicious and careless drenching when the larynx is in 
a temporarily relaxed state. It may be acute or chronic, and is 
divided, according to the seat of the inflammation, into bronchitis 
proper where the large tubes are affected, or capillary bronchitis 
where the smaller tubes are affected. 

Symptoms. — Loss of appetite, elevation of temperature, generally 
104° or 105° F. The inspiration is incomjjlete, short, and painful, 
and the expiration is prolonged. The pulse is increased in frequency 
and is hard, A characteristic and painful cough is present, but it is 
paroxysmal and incomplete. Auscultation and percussion greatly 
aid us in a diagnosis. A normal sound is observed on percussion. 



f 



NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 93 

On auscultation, in the early stages, rhonchus rales are detected if 
the larger tubes are affected, and sibilant rales if the smaller tubes 
are affected. Later on mucous rales are noted, and sometimes all 
sounds in certain parts are absent, which is due to the plugging up 
of the tubes. This plugging of the tubes, if extensive enough, is 
sometimes the cause of death, or death may result from extension of 
the disease to the lungs or pleura. 

Treatment. — The animal should be placed in a light, well- ventilated 
box, and the bowels kept in a soft condition by enemas, etc. Avoid 
violent purgatives. The body should be kept warm by blanketing. In 
the early stages give three times daily a draft composed as follows: 
Extract of belladonna, 2 drams; solution of acetate of ammonium, 4 
fluid ounces; water, one-half pint. In the later stage of the disease 
substitute the following formula, which may be given twice daily : Car- 
bonate of ammonium, 3 drams; liquor hydrochlorate of strychnine, 2 
fluid drams; spirits of nitrous ether, 1 fluid ounce; water, one-half 
pint. 

In some cases the following is preferable to either of the above, and 
may be given in a pint of linseed tea every four hours : Spirits sether. 
nit., 1^ ounces; spirits ammon. arom., 2 ounces; camphor, powdered, 
2 drams. The food should be be light and nutritious. 

Bronchitis is liable to assume a chronic form if not properly treated 
in the earliest stage. Remedial treatment is of little value when the 
disease becomes chronic. 

PLEURISY. 

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the serous membrane lining the 
chest cavity and enveloping the lungs. It is somewhat rare as an 
independent disease, but it often complicates pneumonia; indeed, it is 
often due to the same germ that causes pneumonia — pneumococcus. It 
may arise from exposure to cold or wet or from external violence and 
is usually present in some degree in cases where the ribs have been 
fractured with or without a penetrated wound. 

Symptoms. — In the first stage there is great pain aggravated by 
movement, and the animal is usually stiff as though foundered, the 
pulse is quick and hard, the breathing abdominal, the chest being fixed 
so far as possible, the inspiration short and jerky, the expiration 
longer. The pain is due to the friction of the dry, infiamed pleural 
surfaces of the lung and chest on each other. At this stage the ear 
detects a dry friction murmur resembling somewhat the sound made 
by rubbing two pieces of sole leather together. Pressure between 
the ribs gives pain and usually causes the animal to flinch and grunt. 
The muzzle is hot and dry, the mouth slimy, and the secretions scanty. 
After a day or two the severity of the symptoms is much lessened, 
the temperature, which during the first days may have been as high 
as 106° F., falls to 103° or 104°, the pain decreases, the stiffness dis- 



94 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

appears, and the patient eats a little. The pulse softens, but remains 
quicker than normal. Now, day by day the patient loses a little 
strength, the friction sound disappears as the exudation moistens 
the pleural surfaces; percussion now shows a horizontal line of dull- 
ness, which day by daj' rises higher in the chest, the respiration grows 
more frequent and labored, the countenance is anxious and haggard, 
the eyes sink somewhat in their sockets, and in unfavorable cases death 
occurs during the second or third week, either from asphyxia or heart 
failure. 

In pleurisy, as in pneumonia, the elbows are usually turned outward. 
Care must be taken to differentiate pleurisy from traumatic pericar- 
ditis (which see). In the latter condition the area of dullness of the 
heart is much increased, and usually a splashing sound is heard at 
each beat of the heart. Another diagnostic symptom of value is that 
in traumatic pericarditis respiration is painful, not difficult, and the 
respiratory rate is very much increased on movement. In both con- 
ditions a considerable swelling of the dewlap may be noticed in the 
later stages. 

Treatment. — Give the same general care as recommended in bron- 
chitis or pneumonia. In the early stages give a febrifuge to reduce 
the fever, as directed for pneumonia. For relief of the cough give 
electuary formula, which will be found in the treatment of laryngitis. 
The bowels must be kept relaxed and the kidneys secreting freel)''. 
In the stage of effusion give the following three times daily : Digitalis 
tinct., 1 ounce; iodide of potassium, 30 to 60 grains; mix. Apply 
strong counterirritant to chest and put seton in dewlap. (See " Seton- 
ing," p. 291.) If collapse of the lung is threatened, a surgical opera- 
tion is sometimes performed, termed paracentesis thoracis, which 
consists in puncturing the chest cavity and drawing off a part of the 
fluid. The instruments used are a small trocar and canula, which 
are introduced between the eighth and ninth ribs. Draw the skin 
forward so that the external wound may not correspond with the 
puncture of the chest, to prevent the entrance of air. Only a portion 
of the fluid should be removed. The animal gets immediate relief, 
but it is generally only temporary, as there is a tendency for the fluid 
to accumulate again. 

PNEUMONIA. 

This is an inflammation of the lung substance. It is divided into 
three different forms, viz: First, croupous pneumonia; second, 
catarrhal pneumonia; and third, interstitial pneumonia. But these 
various forms can only be differentiated by the expert, and I there- 
fore deem it necessary for the purposes of the present work to treat 
the subject under the general head of pneumonia. 

The causes of pneumonia in general are the same as those of the 



NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 95 

various other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. The 
germ is called the pneumococciis. It mostly follows congestion of 
the lungs, but may in rare cases have a parasitic origin. 

Symptoms. — In the first stage, that of congestion, the disease is 
usually ushered in by a chill, although this may not always be 
observed by the attendant. This is followed by an elevation of tem- 
perature, usually 105° to 106° F., or it may be even higher. The 
respirations are quick and shallow; the nostrils are dilated; the pulse 
is full and hard. Cough may or may not appear in this stage. The 
nose is hot and dry; the tongue sometimes protrudes and is slimy; 
the coat is staring, and the skin dry and harsh. The urine is usuallj^ 
diminished in quantity, high colored, and the bowels constipated. 
The animal stands with the fore legs wide apart to facilitate respira- 
tion. On auscultation crepitation will be observed over the portion 
of the lung affected. The sounds elicited on percussion are practi- 
cally normal in this stage. 

In the second stage the temperature generally drops one or two 
degrees, and respiration is performed with much difficulty. The 
cough is frequent and painful. The animal still stands with the fore 
legs wide apart and the elbows turned outward. If it assumes the 
recumbent position it rests on the sternum. All secretions are more 
or less suspended, particularly the milk in cows. The animal has a 
haggard appearance, and the pulse becomes small and wiry at this 
period. The extremities are hot and cold alternately; the crepitation 
which was present in the first stage is now absent, and no sound on 
auscultation will be heard, except it be a slight wheezing or whistling 
noise. On percussion dullness over the diseased lung is manifested, 
indicating consolidation. The lung has now assumed a characteristic 
liver-like appearance. 

In the third stage, if the disease is going to terminate favorably, 
the cough becomes loose, the animal improves, the appetite returns, 
and the symptoms above detailed rapidly subside; but if, on the 
other hand, resolution is not progressing, the lung substance is broken 
down, is heavy, and will sink in water. In fatal cases the breath has 
a peculiar fetid, cadaverous odor, and is taken in short gasps ; the 
horns, ears, and extremities become cold and clammy, and the pulse 
is imperceptible. On auscultation, when suppuration is taking place 
and the lung structure is breaking down, a bubbling or gurgling crepi- 
tation, caused by the passage of air through pus, will be heard. 

Treatment. — Good hygienic surroundings and good nursing are 
essential in connection with the medical treatment. The probability 
of recovery depends largelj^ on the extent of the lung tissue involved, 
as well as on the intensity of the inflammatory process. In the early 
stage, when the fever is high, give febrifuges. If the pulse be strong 
and full, aconite {Fleming's tincture, 1 to 2 drams, every four or five 



96 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

hours) may be given for a short time, hut should be discontinued as 
soon as the fever begins to abate. Aconite is a valuable drug in the 
hands of the intelligent practitioner, but my experience leads me to 
believe that not infrequently animals are lost by its injudicious use, 
for in many febrile conditions it is positively contraindicated, owing 
to its action upon the heart. In a plethoric animal, with a strong, 
bounding pulse, bleeding may be resorted to instead of administering 
aconite. If the bowels are constipated, give calomel, 1 to 3 drams, 
which acts as a cathartic and a febrifuge. In the second stage dif- 
fusible stimulants are required, viz: Spirits of ether nit. 2 ounces, 
spirits ammonia aromatic 1 ounce; mix, and give in gruel three times 
daily. If the above is not at hand, give an alcoholic stimulant. Half 
a pint of brandy or whisky may be given in a quart of gruel three 
times daily. In some cases carbonate of ammonia, 2 to 5 drams, has 
been found beneficial. Most practitioners apply counterirritants 
externally, such as mustard plasters, turpentine, and ammonia lini- 
ment, or cantharides. 

EMPHYSEMA (HEAVES). 

Emphysema consists of a rupture of the minute air vesicles of the 
lung substance, and may be either interlobular or vesicular. There 
is an extreme interference with respiration, inspiration being short 
and expiration prolonged. It is a nonfebrile condition, in which the 
appetite is not decreased and the milk secretion is kejDt up. It may 
be caused by an attack of asthma^ or may result from chronic bron- 
chitis. The disease can be diagnosed by the marked interference 
with respiration. The animal, as a rule, is emaciated, has a staring 
coat, and is hidebound. If percussion is resorted to, the animal's 
chest will give a tj^mpanic, drum-like sound. The normal resonant 
sound is exaggerated. 

Treatment. — The disease is incurable, and only a i3alliative form of 
treatment can be carried out. The destruction of the animal is often 
advisable, from a humane as well as from a financial point of view. 

PULMONARY CONGESTION. 

Cattle that are overdriven or overworked are liable to pulmonary 
congestion in an acute form, and sometimes pulmonary apoplexy. In 
such cases the animal should be allowed to rest, and if the weather be 
hot put in a shady place. Give stimulants internally, unload the 
venous side of the heart by bleeding, and apply stimulating applica- 
tions to the legs, and bandage. 

HEMOPTYSIS. 

This is a term used to signify bleeding from the lungs. The trouble 
vasiy result from a previous congestion of the lungs, or from a break- 
ing down of the lung substance, or from specific disorders. 



Diseases or Cattle. 



Plate VIM , 




NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF KESPIRATION ORGANS. 97 

Bleeding from the lungs comes from both nostrils and from the 
mouth. The blood is bright red, frothy, and accompanied by a cough, 
the flow being somewhat profuse and Intermingled with mucus. It 
may cease of its own accord. Internally hemostatics are indicated, 
and locally over the sides cold applications have a tendency to check 
the hemorrhage. Give the animal a drench composed of 1^ drams of 
gallic acid dissolved in a pint of water. 

ABSCESS OF THE LUNG. 

Abscesses of the lung sometimes form during the course of or sub- 
sequent to tuberculosis or other diseases. An animal affected with 
abscess of the lung usually has a protracted, feeble cough and a gen- 
eral appearance of emaciation and anemia. The pulse is feeble and 
the breath foul. An offensive discharge from the lungs frequently 
occurs. Percussion and auscultation will aid in making a diagnosis 
in this condition. The appetite is poor. Such animals go from bad 
to worse, and their prompt destruction would, as a rule, be to the 
interest of the owner. 

HYDROTHORAX. 

Hydrothorax, or dropsy of the chest, is not a disease in itself, but 
is simply a condition where an effusion takes place in the chest cavity, 
*and is the result or effect of some disease, mostly pleurisy. This con- 
dition can be easily diagnosed by physical signs. A loss of the res- 
piratory murmur will be noticed on auscultation, and on percussion 
dullness or flatness on a line as high as the effusion has taken place. 
When there is a large amount of effusion present, tapping with the 
trocar and canula is generally resorted to. The proper method of per- 
forming this operation will be found under the head of ' ' Pleurisy. " 

PNEUMOTHORAX. 

An accunaulation of gas in the pleural sac is known as pneumo- 
thorax. The presence of air may either result from an injury of the 
lung or a wound communicating from the exterior. The indications 
for treatment are to remove any foreign body that may have pene- 
trated, to exclude the further entrance of the air into the cavity by 
the closure of the external opening, and to employ antiseptics and 
adhesive dressings. The air already in the cavity will in most cases 
be absorbed. 

VERMINOUS BRONCHITIS. 

This is a disease that sometimes attacks young cattle when pas- 
tured in low-lying meadows near rivers subject to flood. It is caused 
by a small worm, Strongylus micrurus, which lodges in large num- 
bers in the trachea and bronchial tubes, giving rise to considerable 

8267—04 7 



98 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

irritation of tlie air passages and inflammation. Sometimes the 
strongyles lodge in large numbers in the windpipe, forming them- 
selves into a ball, and thus choke the animal to death. 

Symptoms. — It is liable to attack a number of animals at once, and 
the weakest are the first to give way. The animal has a remarkably 
forcible cough, distressing, and of a special hacking and paroxysmal 
character. A stringy mucus is sometimes expelled during the spells of 
coughing. This mucus contains the Sirongylns micrurus, which can 
be detected, or their ova observed, under a low j)ower of the micro- 
scope. The attack has a subacute character and proves very exhaust- 
ing. The parasites, by becoming entwined in balls, seriously impede 
respiration, which is always remarkably labored in this disease. 

Treatment. — The affected calves should be placed in a dry stable, 
protected from dampness, and subjected to fumigations of sulphurous 
anhydride or chlorine gas. The liberation of chlorine gas is brought 
about by the action of sulphuric acid, either on a mixture of chloride 
of sodium and black oxide of manganese or on bleaching powder. 
Sulphurous anhydride may be procured by burning sulphur. Some 
practitioners prescribe small doses of spirits of turpentine in linseed 
oil. The system requires good support, and the diet should therefore 
be liberal and nutritious. Equal parts of sulphate of iron, gentian, 
and ginger make an excellent tonic. 

Prevention. — Avoid pastures notorious for generating verminous 
bronchitis. 

PLEURODYNIA. 

This is a term applied to rheumatism of the intercostal muscles. 
The apparent symptoms are quite similar to those of pleurisy. The 
animal is stiff and not inclined to turn around, and the ribs are kept 
in a fixed state as much as possible. Pleurodynia may be distinguished 
from pleurisy by the coexistence of rheumatism in other parts and 
by the comparative absence of fever, cough, the friction sound, and 
the effusion into the chest. The treatment for this affection is the 
same as that for rheumatism affecting other parts. 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

By W. H. Habbaugh, V. S. 

[Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.] 

The nervous system is the distinguishing feature of animal life; 
«vithout it there can be no intelligence, no instinct, no sensibility, no 
perception; in fact, existence would be nothing more than vegetai)le 
life. 

The senses — touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell — all depend on the 
nervous system. Motion depends on it. A muscle can not contract 
without receiving the stimulus from the nervous system. For exam- 
ple, if a nerve passing from a nerve center to a muscle is severed, the 
particular muscle that is supplied by the cut nerve is paralyzed. 

The nervous sj'stem is often studied in two divisions — the cerebro- 
spinal division and the sympathetic division. 

The cerebrospinal division consists of the brain and spinal cord, 
nerves, and ganglia. The nerves of this division convey the impulses 
of motion and sensation, and supply all parts which are under the 
control of the will. For example, the voluntary muscular tissue 
includes all the muscles which act as the will directs. Another 
example, if anything comes in contact with any part of the skin, the 
impreission is immediately perceived. All the special senses belong 
to this division. 

The sympathetic division consists of nerves and ganglia. The mus- 
cular tissue, which acts independently of the will — as, for exam^Dle, the 
stomach, intestines, womb, blood vessels, ducts, etc. — is called invol- 
untary muscular tissue, and receives nervous stimulus from the sym- 
pathetic division. 

The brain, spinal cord, and the ganglia are the central organs of tlie 
nervous system. The nerves conduct the nervous influence. The 
nerves terminate differently according to their function. The termi- 
nations are called end organs. The terminal end organs in the skin 
and other parts endowed with sensation receive the impressions, which 
are conveyed to the brain, where they are appreciated. They are so 
sensitive that the most gentle zephyr is i^erceived. They are so abun- 
dant that the point of the finest needle can not pierce the skin with- 
out coming in contact with them, and the sensation of pain is instantly 
conveyed to the brain. The terminal end organs of the nerves that 
supply the muscles are different, as they give the impulse which is 

99 



100 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

conveyed by the motor nerves to tlie elements which constitute the 
muscle, and this impulse is the excitation which causes the muscle to 
contract. The terminal end organs of the special senses of taste, 
smell, etc., receive their special impressions, and their respective 
nerves cany the impressions to the brain. 

There are two divisions of nerves, the afferent and efferent. 

The afferent neriies are those which convey the impression to tlie 
nerve centers. All the sensory nerves belong to this division. 

The efferent nerves are those which convey the nervous impulse out- 
ward from the nerve centers, and they are further classified according 
to the function of their respective centers. For example : Motor fibers 
carry the impulse from the nerve center to a muscle to cause contrac- 
tion. Vaso-motor fibers carry the impulse to the muscular tissue in 
the blood vessels, which regulates their caliber. The secretory fibers 
convey the impulse to the cells of the glands and excite the activity 
of the gland, and its particular product is secreted or evolved, as, for 
instance, milk in the mammary gland. Inhibitor}^ fibers control or 
inhibit the action of the organ to which they are distributed, as, for 
instauce, the heart. 

Nerve centers may be considered as a collection or group of nerve 
cells. Both the cerebro-spinal and the sympathetic divisions have 
nerve centers. The centers derive their special names from their 
functions. The brain is the great center of the nervous system, as it 
is the center of intelligence and perception. The centers of all the 
special senses, as well as the centers of various functions, are located 
in different j)arts of the brain. Nerve centers also exist in the spinal 
cord and in connection with the sympathetic sj^stem. 

A 7ierve is a cord consisting of a certain number of fibers of nerve 
tissue, inclosed in a sheath of connective tissue. Nerves divide and 
subdivide, sending off branches, which ramify in all parts of the 
body, and, as they near their terminations, they contain but one or 
two fibers. 

The b7-ai7i and spinal cord are contained within a bony canal, which 
forms a protective covering for them. 

The spinal cord, or spinal marrow, lodged within the spinal canal, 
or hollow of the backbone, is continuous with the brain anteriorly, 
and terminates in a point in the sacrum (that part of the spinal 
column which immediately precedes the tail). The spinal cord gives 
off branches at each of the spaces between the segments of the back- 
bone. These branches form nerve trunks which carry both sensory 
and motor impressions and impulses. The spinal cord is a grand 
nerve trunk to carry messages to or from the brain and to and from 
the reflex centers contained within itself. 

The brain is contained within the cavity of the skull and is con- 
tinuous with the spinal coi-d; there is nothing to mark the place 
where one leaves off and the other begins. The brain is the seat of 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 101 

reason and intelligence. Voluntary effort originates from tlie brain. 
Coordination, or harmony of movement, is controlled by the rear 
portion of the brain, known as the cerebellum. 

The meninges are the membranes, three in number, Avhich envelop 
the brain and spinal cord, and separate them from the bones which 
form the walls of the cranial cavity and spinal canal. 

The sympathetic, also called the ganglionic, division of the nervous 
system consists of two chains of ganglia, reaching from the head to 
the tail, situated beneath the spinal column, one on either side. The 
presence of the ganglia or enlargements on the cords give them their 
chain-like appearance. 

The sympathetic nei'ves are closely connected with the cerebro- 
spinal nerves, but are not under the control of the will. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN AND ITS MEMBRANES (STAGGERS). 

Inflammation of the brain is technically termed encephalitis and 
of its membranes cerebral-meningitis, but as both conditions usually 
occur together, and since it is practically impossible to distinguish 
one from the other by the symptoms shown by the diseased animal, 
they may as well be considered together here as varieties of the same 
disease. Staggers, coma, frenzy, etc., are terms that are sometimes 
applied to this disease in its different forms or stages. 

Causes. — Severe blows on the head with a hard, object, or the head 
coming violently in contact with the ground or other hard substance 
in a fall, may be followed by encephalitis. Irritation caused by 
tumors in the brain may produce inflammation. Food containing 
deleterious matters — for example, ergot (see PI. V) and other fungi 
which contain a narcotic principle — is the most frequent cause of this 
affection, and hence it is often called "grass staggers" and "stomach 
staggers." Highly nitrogenous foods are blamed for causing this dis- 
ease. Parasites, mineral and narcotic poisons, hot weather, and 
severe exertion or excessive excitement may cause this condition. 
Inflammation of the brain may occur as a complication of some infec- 
tious disease or may follow some forms of indigestion. In many 
localities certain plants have the reputation of causing staggers. 

Sym,ptoms. — The symjDtoms vary much, but a careful observer will 
detect a trouble connected with the nervous system without much 
uncertainty. The first signs may be those of frenzy, but generally 
at the start the animal is dull and sleepy, with little or no inclination 
to move about; the head may be pressed against the wall or fence 
and the legs kept moving, as if the animal were endeavoring to walk 
through the obstruction ; the body, especially the hind part, may be 
leaned against the side of the stall or stable, as if for suppoi't. The 
bowels are constipated; the urine, when passed, is small in quantity 
and darker in color than natural. There may be trembling and even 
spasms of muscles in different parts. In the dull stage the animal 



102 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

may breathe less frequently than is natural, and each breath may be 
accompanied with a snoring- like sound. The pulse may be large and 
less frequent than normal. If suddenly aroused from the drowsy 
state, the animal appears startled and stares wildly. When moving 
about it may stagger, the hind quarters swaying from side to side. 

If delirium ensues, the cow is commonly said to be mad. She may 
bellow, stamp her feet, run about wildly, grate the teeth, froth at the 
mouth. If she is confined in the stable, she rears and plunges; the 
convulsions are so violent in many instances that it is really danger- 
ous for one to attempt to render aid. The body may bo covered with 
perspiration. She may fall; the muscles twitch and jerk; often the 
head is raised and then dashed against the ground until blood issues 
from the nose and mouth; the eyes may be bloodshot and sightless; 
the limbs stiff and outstretched, or they may be kicked about reck- 
lessly; the head may be drawn back and the tail drawn up; the urine 
may be squirted out in spurts; often the "washer" (membrane nicti- 
tans) is forced over the eye. When the convulsions cease they may be 
followed by a period of quiet unconsciousness (coma) which is more 
or less prolonged, when the animal may graduallj^ regain conscious- 
ness, get up on its feet, and perhaps quietlj^ partake of food, if there 
be any within reach, while at other times it arises with much difficulty 
and staggers blindly about the stall or field. 

It must be remembered that all the foregoing symptoms are not 
always seen in the same case. In those cases usually designated 
"sleepy staggers" the general symptoms of drowsiness are presented, 
while in other cases the symptoms of frenzy cause the affection to be 
called "mad staggers." In other cases there are symptoms of paralj^- 
sis, swaying of the hind quarters, inability to rise, etc. , and sometimes 
these symptoms of paralysis are the most striking manifestations and 
continue until death. Acute cases are accompanied by fever. 

It is well to remark that when the disease follows injuries to the 
head the symptoms may not be manifested until two or three days 
(or longer) after the accident. 

Trecdrtient. — Recoveries are rare in spite of careful attention. To 
be of any service whatever the treatment must be prompt and begin 
with the disease. In the early stage when the pulse is large most cases 
will admit of bleeding. Eight or 9 quarts of blood should be taken 
from the jugular vein. This should be followed immediately by a 
purgative, the following for a cow of average size: Epsom salts, 24 
ounces; pulverized gamboge, one-half ounce; croton oil, 20 drops; 
warm water, 3 quarts ; mix all together and give at once as a drench. 
About 2 quarts of warm water or warm soapsuds should be injected 
with a syringe into the rectum every three or four hours. It is best 
to keep the animal in a quiet, sheltered place, where it will be free 
from noise or other cause of excitement. All the cold water the animal 
will drink should be allowed, but food must be withheld, except bran 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 103 

slops occasionally in small quantities, or grass, if in season, which 
may be cut and carried fresh to the patient. 

The skull must be examined and if sign of injury is found appro- 
priate surgical treatment should be given. 

During the convulsions all possible efforts should be made to pre- 
vent the animal injuring itself. The head should be held down on 
the ground and straw kejDt under it. Cold water may be continuously 
j)oured on the head, or bags filled with ice broken in small pieces 
may be applied to the head. Different authors recommend different 
remedies to allay the convulsions, but for two reasons it will be found 
extremely difficult to administer medicines during the convulsions: 
(1) While the animal is unconscious the power to swallow is lost, and 
therefore the medicine is more liable to go down the windpipe to the 
lungs than it is to go to the paunch; (2) The convulsions are often 
so violent that it would be utterly useless to attempt to drench the 
animal; and furthermore it must be borne in mind that during this 
stage the functions of digestion and absorption are suspended, and as 
a consequence the medicine (provided it finds its way to the paunch) 
is likely to remain there unabsorbed and therefore useless. 

A blistering compound, composed of mustard, 1 ounce; pulverized 
cantharides, one-half ounce; hot water, 4 ounces, well mixed together, 
may be rubbed in over the loins, along the spine, and back of the 
head on each side of the neck. This is occasionally attended with 
beneficial effect, and especially so in those cases when paralysis is 
present. 

If the purgative acts and the animal shows signs of improvement in 
the course of two or three days, 2 drams of iodide of potassium may 
be given every night and morning, dissolved in a half bucketful of 
drinking water, if the animal will drink it, or it may be dissolved in a 
half pint of water and given as a drench. Great care must be observed 
in regard to the food, which should be nutritive, but not coarse, and at 
first in small quantities, graduall}^ increased as the patient improves. 
After some progress is made toward recovery 14 drams of pulverized 
nux vomica may be given twice a day, added to the iodide of potas- 
sium drench. This should be administered so long as a staggering 
gait continues. 

In those rare cases when recovery takes place it is only partial as a 
rule, as there is generally a sequel which remains, such as partial 
paralysis. However, this is but a slight drawback in cattle, because 
when it is seen to persist the medicine should be stopped and the ani- 
mal fattened for butchering. 

Postmortem examinations discover congestion of the brain and its 
membranes. In those cases which have exhibited much paralysis of 
the hind legs before death the cord may be congested in the lumbar 
region (loins). When the disease has been caused by injury to the 
head, the congestion and extravasated blood may be found inside of 



104 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the cavity in the location corresponding to the place where the injury- 
was inflicted externally. In some cases pus is also discovered. It 
remains to be said that in all animals that have died from this affec- 
tion the lungs are found very much congested. This may lead the 
superficial observer to suppose that the disease was a lung affection, 
but in fact it is only a natural consequence when death ensues from 
brain disease. 

APOPLEXY. 

That form of congestion of the brain known as parturient apoplexy, 
or parturient paresis, which is so frequently associated with the period 
of calving, is described in another part of this work. (See "Milk 
fever," p. 222.) 

Cerebral apoplexy, not connected with parturition, is a rare disease 
among cattle. However, it may be due to degeneration and consequent 
rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. 

The attack is sudden, the animal in most cases falling as if it had 
received a blow on the head. It may stagger and reel some time before 
going down. After falling, there are convulsive movements of the 
legs or the animal sinks into insensibility. There may be remissions 
in the severity of the symptoms, but the pressure from the continued 
escape of blood soon causes death. Rest, quiet, friction to the legs 
and surface, frequent turning of the animal and cold to the head are 
to be practiced, if treatment is attempted. 

CONGESTION OF THE BRAIN. 

There is a form of congestive apoplexj^ affecting cattle which are 
in a plethoric condition. The congestion, or overfilling with blood, 
causes pressure on the brain substance and disorganizes its function. 
It occurs mostly in hot weather. In this disease the symptoms are 
somewhat similar to those exhibited when the animal has encephalitis, 
but the onset is more sudden, the duration is shorter, and there is less 
fever. There may be frenzy or coma or alternations, one with the 
other. The intelligence is diminished, staring eyes, bracing with the 
legs, pressing against the stall partition or manger, red mucous mem- 
branes. This condition usually terminates in recovery. 

In such cases bleeding should be resorted to immediately, and when 
the power of swallowing is not lost purgatives should be administered. 
Cold applications to the head, and the general treatment recommended 
for encephalitis are indicated. 

CONCUSSION OF THE BRAIN. 

Severe blows on the head, striking the head against some hard object 
while running, or falling on the head, may cause concussion of the 
lirain. The injury may fracture bones of the cranium and produce 
compression of the brain. 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 105 

Symptoms and treatment. — The symj)toms and the treatment that 
is indicated differ very little from what has been said under conges- 
tion of the brain and under eAicephalitis. In some cases it may be 
necessary to operate to remove a piece of bone that is pressing on the 
brain or to remove a clot of blood under the area which received the 
blow. 

EPILEPSY. 

This affection is characterized by the occurrence of sudden convul- 
sions. The animal may appear to be in a fair state of health usually, 
but at any time, in the stable or in the field, it may have a convulsion 
in which it will fall and lose consciousness. Epilepsy must not be 
confounded with vertigo — the fainting which is an effect of heart 
troubles. 

The exact cause of epilepsy in the majority of cases is unknown. 
Postmortem examinations in many instances have failed to discover 
any lesion, in connection with the brain or nervous system; while in 
other instances disease of the brain has been found in the form of 
thickening of the membranes, abscesses, and tumors, and in some 
cases the affection has been manifested in connection with a diseased 
condition of the blood. The cause has also been traced to reflex irri- 
tation, due to teething, worms, and chronic indigestion. 

Treatment. — When the affection is due to the last-named causes 
treatment may be successful if the cause is removed. If there are 
symptoms of worms or of indigestion, follow the general treatment 
advised for those troubles under their proper heads. If due to irrita- 
tion caused by teething, the inflamed gums must be lanced. Exami- 
nation of the mouth often develops the fact that one of the temporary 
teeth causes much irritation by remaining unshed, and thereby inter- 
fering with the growth of a permanent tooth. The offending tooth 
should be extracted. When the cause of epilepsy can not be dis- 
covered, it must be confessed that there is no prospect of a cure. 
However, some benefit may be expected from the occasional admin- 
istration of a purgative dose of medicine. A pound of Epsom salts 
dissolved in a quart of warm water, for a cow of average size, may be 
given as a drench once or twice a month. In addition to the purga- 
tive,' 4 drams of bromide of potassium, dissolved in the drinking 
water, three times a day, has proved very beneficial in some cases. 

SUNSTROKE (PROSTRATION FROM HEAT). 

Owing to the fact that cattle are seldom put to work at which they 
would have to undergo severe exertion, especially in collars, they are 
not frequently prostrated by the extreme heat of the summer months. 
When at pasture they select the coolest places in the shade of trees, 
in water, etc. , when the heat becomes oppressive, and thereby avoid, 
as much as possible, the effects of it. 



106 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

It does happen, however, that cattle that have been kept up for the 
purpose of fattening, when driven some distance in ver}^ hot weather, 
are sometimes prostrated, but it must be remembered that it is not 
really necessary for the animal to be exposed to the rays of the sun, as 
those confined in hot, close places may suffer. This often happens in 
shipping, when thej' are crowded together in cars. 

Symptoms. — The premonitory signs are those of exhaustion — dull- 
ness, panting, frotliiug at the mouth, tongue hanging out, irregular 
gait, uneasiness, palpitation — when, if the circumstances which tend 
to the prostration are not mitigated, the animal staggers or sways 
from side to side, falls, struggles for a while, and then gradually 
becomes quiet, or the struggles may continue, with repeated but inef- 
fectual efforts to regain a standing position. In serious eases the 
attack maj^ be very sudden, unconsciousness occurring without con- 
tinued or distressing premonitory symptoms. 

Treat nient. — At first, when not very serious, removal to a quiet, 
sheltered place, with a few days on a reduced diet, is all that need be 
done. When the animal has fallen, apply cold water or ice to the head ; 
rub the body and limbs with cloths or wisps of straw, and continue 
the rubbing for a considerable time. If the power of swallowing is 
not lost (which may be ascertained by pouring a little cold water into 
the mouth), give 3 drams of liquor ammonia fort., diluted with a quart 
of cold water. Be very careful in drenching the animal when lying 
down. Repeat the drench in a half hour, and an hour after the first 
one has been given. Instead of the ammonia, a drench composed of 
3 ounces of spirits of nitrous ether in a pint of water may be given, 
if more convenient, but the ammonia drench is preferable. If uncon- 
sciousness continues, so that a drench can not be administered, the 
same quantity of ammonia and water may be injected with a syringe 
into the rectum. The popular aqua ammonia, commonly called 
"hartshorn," will do as well as the liquor ammonia fort., but as it is 
weaker than the latter the dose for a cow is about 1^ ounces, which 
should be diluted with a quart of water before it is given to the animal, 
either as a drench or an enema. When ammonia can not be obtained 
a iiint of whisky in a quart of water or an ounce of tincture of digi- 
talis may be given. 

As soon as the animal is able to rise it should be assisted and moved 
to the nearest shelter. All the cold water it will drink should be 
allowed. The ammonia or spirits of nitrous ether drench should be 
administered every three hours so long as there is much failure of 
strength. The diet should be limited for several days — bran slops and 
a little grass. When signs of returning strength are presented, 12 
ounces of Epsom salts dissolved in a quart of warm water may be 
given in those cases which have been down and unconscious, but do 
not give it while much weakness remains, which may be for several 
days after the attack. The flesh of an animal that is suffering from 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 107 

heat stroke should not be ijrepared for use as food. On account of 
the fever with which the animal suffers, the flesh contains toxins that 
may render it poisonous to the consumer. 

INJURIES TO THE SPINAL CORD. 

The spinal cord is liable to concussion from blows and falls, and 
paralysis, to a greater or less extent, may be the result. Fracture, 
with displacement of the bones (vertebrse) which form the spiucil col- 
umn, by compressing the spinal cord, produces paralysis, which varies 
in its effect according to the part of the cord that is compressed. If 
the fracture is above the middle of the neck, death soon follows, as 
communication between the brain and diaphragm (the essential 
muscle of insi^iration) is stopped. When the fracture is farther 
down in the neck, posterior to the origin of the phrenic nerve, the 
breathing continues, but there is paral3%sis in all parts posterior to the 
fracture, including the fore and hind legs. When the fracture is in 
the region of the loins the hind legs are paralj^zed, but the fore legs 
are not. If the fracture is in the sacrum (the division of the spinal 
column between the loins and the tail), the tail alone is paralyzed. 

As a matter of course, when the back is broken there is no remedy; 
the animal should be killed at once. 

PARALYSIS. 

Paralysis, or loss of motion in a part, may be due to a lesion of the 
brain, of the spinal cord, or of a nerve. It may also be caused by 
reflex irritation. When the paralysis affects both sides of the body, 
posterior to a point, it is further designated by the name paraplegia. 
When one side of the body (a lateral half) is paralyzed, the term 
lieiniplegia is applied to the affection. When paralysis is caused by 
a lesion of a nerve, the paralysis is confined to the particular part 
supplied by the affected nerve. 

As already pointed out, paralysis may be due to concussion of the 
spine, fracture of a bone of the spinal column with consequent com- 
pression of the spinal cord, concussion of the brain, or compression of 
the brain. An injury to one side of the brain may produce paralysis 
of the same side of the head, and of the opposite side of the body liemi- 
plegia. Paralysis may occur in connection with parturient apoplexy, 
lead poisoning, ergotism, etc. 

CONGESTION OF THE SPINAL CORD. 

Paraplegia, or paralysis of the rear part of the body, is the domi- 
nant symptom in congestion or inflammation of the spinal cord. The 
cause is not known, but the disease is probablj" due to chilling. It is 
thought bj' some that some toxic influence (poison) may be responsi- 
ble for its development. 



108 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms usually appear suddenly, and consist 
in inability to stand. Sometimes this is preceded by a period of 
excitement. The animal usually lies quietly, but sometimes it groans 
and tosses its head about in a way that indicates pain. Cows heavy 
with calf are sometimes affected with a form of paraplegia, which 
usually attacks them from about a month to a few days before calv- 
ing. Apparentl}^ they are in good health in every respect excei^t the 
inability to stand up, on account of the paralysis of the hind quar- 
ters. This form is generally attributed to feeding on foods containing 
insufficient protein and ash. It is most likely to occur in cows that are 
weak and thin. With good care and food recovery usually occurs. 

Treatment. — The animal must be given a soft, dry bed under shelter 
and in a quiet, airy place. It is well to apply mustard along the 
spine. The action of the mustard may be intensified by rubbing the 
skin with ammonia or turpentine. Internally give a purge of Glauber's 
salts. Nux vomica or strychnia (1 to 2 grain doses) may be given. 
Turn the cow two to four times daily and rub the legs well each time. 

There are instances when cows will persist in lying down (in spite 
of all efforts that are made to compel them to stand up), when it can 
not really be said that they are paralyzed. They have sensation in 
all parts ; they can move all their feet ; they can change their position ; 
and in fact everj^ function seems to be normally performed, but they 
obstinately refuse to rise, or even make an effort to do so. Cases of 
this kind have been killed, as it was an utter impossibility to get 
the animal on its feet. However, there are instances when a cow, 
after refusing to rise when all other means had been tried, quickly 
jumped to her feet and showed fright upon the appearance of a dog 
or other terrifying object. 

RABIES (hydrophobia). 

[See disciission of this disease in chapter on "Infectious diseases, p. 394."] 
LIGHTNING STROKE (ASPHYXIA ELECTRICA). 

When an animal is struck by lightning the shock is instantaneously 
expended on the nervous system, and as a rule death occurs immedi- 
ately, but when the shock is not fatal animation is suspended to a 
greater or less extent, as evidenced by prostration, unconsciousness, 
and paralysis. 

Symptoms. — When not fatal, the symptoms vary much, according to 
the severity of the shock. The animal usually falls, as from an apo- 
plectic attack, and, as a matter of course, the symptoms are such as are 
generally manifested in connection with concussion of the brain. The 
muscular system may be completely relaxed; the legs limber; the 
muscles flabby and soft to the touch, or there may be convulsions, 
spasms, and twitching of the muscles. The breathing is generally 
labored, irregular, or interrupted, and slower than normal. 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 109 

In most instances the electrical fluid leaves its mark by singeing tlie 
hair, or by inflicting wounds, burns, or blisters. " Sir B. Brodie tells 
a curious story of two bullocks, j)ied white and red, which were struck 
in different storms. In both cases the white hairs were consumed, 
while the red ones escaped." 

Treatment. — So long as the beating of the heart is jierceptible, the 
endeavor to resuscitate the animal should be continued. Dash cold 
water over the head and body; rub the bodj' and legs; smartly whip 
the body with wet towels or switches. Mustard, mixed with water, 
should be well rubbed over the legs and back of the head on each side 
of the neck. Inject into the rectum 4 drams of liquor ammonia fortis, 
or 1^ ounces of hartshorn diluted with a quart of warm water. Cau- 
tiously hold an uncorked bottle of hartshorn to the nostrils, so that 
some of it is inhaled, but care should be taken that too much is not 
suddenly inhaled. 

In desperate cases artiflcial respiration should be tried, as follows: 
With both hands spread out to cover a large surface, press on the 
abdomen (behind the ribs) and then on the chest (behind the shoul- 
ders), and continue in this manner, flrst on the abdomen and then on 
the chest in regular order, so that the chest and the abdomen are each 
pressed on alternately about twenty times a minute. The pressure 
should be slow and steady, so that the movement given by it to the 
walls of the chest and abdomen will resemble their motion in breath- 
ing. A hand bellows may be used as an aid to the foregoing method, 
as follows : Each time after the chest is pressed on the nozzle is inserted 
in the nostril and air slowly and gently forced in by the bellows. 

When the animal revives sufficiently to be able to swallow, 4 drams 
of the liquor ammonia fortis, diluted with a quart of cold water, should 
be given as a drench, and the dose should be repeated in an hour. One 
and one-half ounces of ordinary hartshorn may be used instead of the 
stronger liquor ammonia, but, like the latter, it should be diluted with 
a quart or more of water, and even then care should be exercised in 
drenching. 

In cases when the shock has not caused complete insensibility, 
recovery may be hastened by the ammonia and water drench, or 4 
ounces of brandy diluted with a quart of water, or 8 ounces of whisky 
diluted with a quart of water. These doses may be given every three 
or four hours, if necessary. After recovery from the more serious 
symptoms, 2 drams of sulphate of quinine should be given twice a 
day until health is restored. If any paralysis remains, 1^ drams of 
pulverized nux vomica should be given twice a day with the quinine. 

The foregoing treatment is also apj)licable when the electrical shock 
is given by telephone, electric car, or electric-light wires, etc. The 
wounds, burns, or blisters should be treated according to the anti- 
septic method of treating wounds. 



110 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

TUMORS IN THE BRAIN, ETC. 

Tumors of different kinds have been found within the cranial cav- 
ity, and in many cases there liave been no well-marked symptoms 
exhibited during the life of the animal to lead one to suspect their 
existence. Cases are recorded where bony tumors have been found 
in the brain of cattle that died suddenly, but during life no signs of 
disease were manifested. Postmortem examinations iiave discovered 
tubercles in the membranes of the brain. (See " Tuberculosis," p. 
398.) Abscesses, usually the result of inflammation of the brain, 
have been found postmortem. For the description of hydrocephalus, 
or dropsy of the brain, of calves, the reader is referred to the section 
on iDarturition. (See "Water in the head," p. 176.) 

Chorea, constant twitching and irregular spasmodic movements of 
the muscles, has been noticed in connection with, or as a sequel to, 
other affections, as, for example, parturient apoplexy. 

Various diseases, the description of which will be found in other 
sections of this work, affect the nervous system to a greater or less 
extent— for example, ergotism, lead poisoning, uremia, parturient 
apoplexy, colic, and other affections associated with cramps, or spasms, 
etc. Disease of the ovaries or of the spinal cord, by reflex irritation, 
may cause estromania (see "Excess of venereal desire," p. 145), con- 
stant desire for the bull. 



DISEASES OF THE TTRINAEY ORGANS. 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S.. 
Professor of Veterinary Science, etc., in Cornell University. 

Of the materials that have served their purpose in building up the 
animal hody or in sustaining the bodily temperature, and that are 
now to be thrown out as waste, the greater part are expelled from the 
system through the lungs and the kidneys, but the agents that pass 
out by either of these two channels differ in the main from those 
passing by the other. Thus from the lungs in the form of dioxide of 
carbon— the same gas that comes from burning of coal or oil — there 
escapes most of the waste material resulting from the destruction in 
the system of fats, sugars, starch, and such other foods as are want- 
ing in the element nitrogen, and do not form fibrous tissues, but go 
mainly to support animal heat or maintain functional activity. From 
the kidneys, on the other hand, are thrown out the waste products 
resulting from the destruction of the foods and tissues containing 
nitrogen — of, for instance, albumen, fibrine, gluten, casein, gelatine, 
woody tissue, etc. While much of the waste material containing 
nitrogen leaves the body by the bowels, this is virtuallj^ such only of 
the albuminoid food as has failed to be fully digested and absorbed, 
and this has never formed a true constituent part of the body itself 
or of the blood, but is so much waste food, like that which has come 
to the table and been carried away again unused. Where the albu- 
minoid food element has entered the blood, whether or not it has been 
built up into a constituent part of the structure of the body, its waste 
products, which contain nitrogen, are in the main expelled through 
the kidneys, so that these organs become the principal channels for 
the expulsion of all nitrogen-containing waste. 

It would be an error, however, to infer that all nitrogenous food, 
when once digested and absorbed into the blood, must necessarily 
leave the system in the urine. On the contrary, in the young and 
growing animal all increase of the fibrous structures of the body is 
gained through the building up of those flesh-forming constituents 
into their substance; in the pregnant animal the growth of the off- 
spring and its envelopes has a similar origin, and in the daiiy cow 
the casein or curd of the milk is a means of constant elimination of 
these nitrogen-containing agents. Thus, in the breeding cow and, 
above all, in the milking cow, the womb or udder carries on a work in 
one sense equivalent to that otherwise performed by the kidneys. Not 
only are these organs alike channels for the excretion of albuminous 
products, but they are also related to each other structurally and by 

111 



112 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

nervous sympathy, so that suffering in the one is liable to induce some 
measure of disorder in the other. 

This nitrogenous waste matter is mainly present in the urine of 
cattle, as of other mammals, in the form of urea, but also, to some 
extent, as hippuric acid, a derivative of vegetable food which, in the 
herbivora, replaces the uric acid found in the urine of man and car- 
nivora. Uric acid is, however, found in the urine of sucking calves 
which have practically an animal diet, and it may also appear in the 
adult in case of absolute and prolonged starvation, and in diseases 
attended by complete loss of appetite and rapid wasting of the body. 
In such cases th^ animal lives on its own substance, and the product 
is that of the wasting flesh. 

The other products containing nitrogen are only present in small 
amount, and need not be specially referred to. The urine of cattle 
contains much less of carbonates than does that of the horse, and 
effervesces less on the addition of an acid. As the carbonates form 
a large proportion of the solid deposits (gravel, stone) from the horse's 
urine, the ox may thus be held less liable; yet even in the ox the car- 
bonates become abundant or scanty, according to the nature of the 
food, and therefore gravel, formed by carbonate of lime, is not infre- 
quent in cattle. When fed on beets, clover hay, or bean straw, car- 
bonates are present in large amount, these aliments being rich in 
oi'ganic acids and alkaline carbonates ; whereas upon oat straw, barley 
straw, and, above all, wheat straw, they are in small amount. In 
calves fed on milk alone no carbonates are found in the urine. 

Phosphates, usually in combination with lime, are, as a rule, pres- 
ent only in traces in the urine of cattle; yet, on a dietary of wheat, 
bran, or other aliment rich in phosphates, these may be present in 
large amount, so that they render the liquid cloudy or are deposited 
in solid crystals. The liquid is rendered transparent by nitric acid. 

The cow's urine, on a diet of hay and potatoes, contained : 

Parts. 

Urea 18.5 

Potassic hippurate _ 16. 5 

Alkaline lactates 17.2 

Potassium bicarbonate 16.1 

Magnesium carbonate - 4.7 

Lime carbonate 0.6 

Potassium sulphate 3.6 

Common salt 1.5 

Silica Trace. 

Phosphates 0.0 

Water and undetermined substances 921. 3 

Total 1,000 

The following table after Tereg^ gives the different conditions of 
the urine, and especiallj^ the amount of urea and hiiipuric acid under 

«Encyklop. der Thierheilk., Vol. IV, p. 208. 



DISEASES OF THE URINAEY ORGANS. 



113 



different rations. The subjects were two oxen, weighing, respectively, 
1,260 pounds and 1,000 pounds: 



Food per day (pounds). 



16.90 wheat straw, and 1.30 bean 
meal 

14. 70 oat straw, and 2.30 bean meal. 

10.4 wheat straw, 10.1 clover hay, 
0.6 bean meal, and 2.6 starch . _ 

10.4 wheat straw, 10.4 clover hay, 
2.7 bean meal, 1.4 starch, and 0.8 
sugar _ 

10.4 wheat straw, 10.4 clover hay, 
5 bean meal, and 0.8 sugar 

10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 6.4 
bean meal, 1.7 starch, 4 sugar, 
and 0.4 rape oil _ _ 

10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 9.4 
bean meal, 3.1 sugar, and 0.4 
rape oil 

10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 11.7 
bean meal, 2.8 starch, and 0.6 
rape oil 

17.86 bean straw, and 1.6 bean meal 

14.88 bean straw 

16.90 meadow hay 



Lbs. 

46.46 
61.10 

71.76 

80. 54 
78.96 



101. 80 



119.00 
54.84 
55.76 
36.26 



Lbs. 

7.40 
15.26 

12.36 

12.46 
17.62 

25.86 

27.04 



23.20 
12.60 
16.34 
15.14 



1,0.36 
1,039 

1,043 



1,044 
1.043 

1,038 

1,0.37 



1,038 
1,043 
1,036 
1,042 



Pi\ct. 

8.41 
6.93 

8. 05 

8.29 
8.41 



7.74 
7.06 
5.46 
7.91 



Pl-.ct. 



2.66 
2.09 



8.07 
0.74 

0.31 

0.20 



0.21 
0.40 
0.11 
1.30 



Pr.ct. 

1.33 
0.84 

1.85 



2.41 
3.12 

3.49 



4.06 
2. .53 
1.41 
1.73 



/3 oi 



9 h <o 
H ts ^ 
•1=; as 



Per cf. 

0.83 
0..55 

0.93 

1.19 
1. 45 

1.19 

1.89 



1.91 
1.21 
0.67 
0.91 



Pr.ct. 

0.94 
0.49 

0.94 

1.11 
1.24 

1.25 



1.69 
1.15 
0.64 
0.92 



Ozs. 

1.63 
2.2 

3.83 

5.8 
9.17 

10.9 

13.3 



15.4 
5.3 
3.83 
4.37 



3.23 
5.3 

1.96 

2.1 
3.17 

1.33 

0.9 



0.8 
0.83 
0.3 
3.3 



The varying amount of urea (from l.G to 15,4 ounces) is most sug- 
gestive as to tlie action of the more or less nitrogenous food and the 
resulting concentration of the urine and blood. Ilippuric acid, on 
the other hand, is most abundant when the animal is fed on hay and 
straw. 

The specific gravity of the urine of cattle varies from 1,030 to 1,060 
in health, water being 1,000. It is transparent, with a yellowish tinge, 
and has a characteristic musky smell. The chemical reaction is alka- 
line, turning red litmus paper blue. The quantity passed in twenty- 
four hours varies greatly, increasing not only with the amount of 
water drunk, but with the amount of albuminoids taken in with the 
food and the amount of urea produced. If a solution of urea is 
injected into the veins the secretion of urine is greatly augmented. 
Similarly the excess of salts like carbonate of potash in the food, or 
of sugar, increases the action of the kidneys. Only about 20 per cent 
of the water swallowed escapes in the urine, the remaining 80 per cent 
passing mostly from the lungs, and to a slight extent by the bowels. 
The skin of the ox does not perspire so readily nor so freely as that 
of the horse; hence the kidneys and lungs are called upon for extra 

8267—04 8 



114 DISEASES OF CATTLE. - 

work. The influence of an excess of water in the food is most remark- 
able in swill-fed distillery cattle, which urinate profusely at frequent 
intervals and yet thrive and fatten rapidly. 

Among the other conditions that increase the flow of urine is over- 
filling of (internal pressure in) the blood vessels of the kidneys. 
Hence the contraction of the blood vessels of the skin by cold drives 
the blood inward, tends to dilate the blood vessels of the kidneys, 
and to increase the secretion of urine. Nervous disorders, such as 
excitement, fear, congestions, or structural injuries to the back part 
of the base of the brain have a similar result. Hence, doubtless, the 
action of certain fungi growing in musty hay or oats in producing 
profuse flow of urine, whereas other forms of musty fodder cause 
stupor, delirium, or parah^sis. Bacteria and their products are mainly 
expelled by the kidneys, and become sources of local infection, irrita- 
tion, and disease. 

The amount of urine passed daily by an ox on dry feeding averages 
7 to 12 pints, but this may be increased enormously on a watery diet. 

The mutual influence of the kidneys and other important organs 
tends to explain the way in which disease in one part supervenes on 
preexisting disorder in another. The introduction of albuminoids in 
excess into the blood means the formation of an excess of urea, and a 
more profuse secretion of urine, of a higher specific gravity, and with 
a greater tendency to deposit its solid constituents, as gravel, in the 
kidneys or bladder. A torpid action of the liver, leaving the albumi- 
noids in transition forms, less soluble than the urea into which they 
should have been changed, favors the onset of rheumatism or nervous 
disorder, the deposit of such albuminoid products in the kidneys, the 
formation of a deep-brown or reddish urine, and congestion of the 
kidneys. Any abnormal activity of the liver in the production of 
sugar — more than can be burned up in the circulation — overstimulates 
the kidneys and produces increased flow of a heavy urine with a 
sweetish taste. This increased production of sugar may be primarily 
due to disease of the brain, which, in its turn, determines the disorder 
of the liver. Disease of the right side of the heart or of the lungs, 
by obstructing the onward flow of blood from the veins, increases the 
blood jjressure in the kidnej^s and produces disorder and excessive 
secretion. Inactivity of the kidneys determines an increase in the 
blood of waste products, which become irritating to different parts, 
producing skin eruptions, itching, dropsies, and nervous disorders. 
Sprains of the loins will produce bleeding from the kidneys and dis- 
ease of the spinal cord, and determine sometimes albuminous or 
milky-looking urine. 

The kidney of the ox (PI. IX, fig. 1) is a compound organ made up 
of fifteen to twenty-five separate lobules like so many separate kid- 
neys, but all pouring their secretion into one common pouch (pelvis) 
situated in an excavation in the center of the lower surface. While 



DISEASES OF THE UJRINARY ORGANS. 115 

the ox is the ouly domesticated quadruped which maintains this 
divided condition of the kidney after birtli, this condition is common 
to all while at an early stage of development in the womb. The 
cluster of lobules making up a single kidney forms an ovoid mass flat- 
tened from above downward, and extending from the last rib back- 
ward beneath the loins and to one side of the solid chain of the back- 
bone. The right is more flrmly attached to the loins and extends 
farther backward than the left. Deeply covered in a mass of suet, 
each kidney has a strong outer white, fibrous covering, and inside 
this two successive layers of kidney substance, of which the outer is 
that in which the urine is mainly separated from the blood and poured 
into the fine microscopic urinary ducts. (PI. X, fig. 1.) These lat- 
ter, together with blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves, make up 
the second, or internal, layer. The outer layer is mainly composed of 
minute globular clusters of microscopic intercommunicating blood 
vessels (Malphigian bodies), each of which is furnished with a fibrous 
capsule that is nothing else than the dilated commencement of a 
urine tube. These practically microscopic tubes follow at first a 
winding course through the outer layer (Ferrein's tubes), then form 
a long loop (doubling on itself) in the inner lajxr (Ilenle's loop), and 
finally pass back through the inner layer (Bellini's tubes) to open 
through a conical process into the common pouch (pelvis) on the 
lower surface of the organ. (PI. X, figs. 1, 2, 3.) 

The tube that convej^s the urine from the kidney to the bladder is 
like a white, round cord, about the size of a goose quill, prolonged from 
the pouch on the lower surface of the kidney backward beneath the 
loins, then inward, supported bj^ a fold of thin membrane, to often 
into the bladder just in front of its neck. The canal passes first 
through the middle (muscular) coat of the bladder, and then advances 
perceptibly between that and the internal (mucous) coat, through 
which it finally opens. By this arrangement in overfilling of the 
bladder this opening is closed like a valve by the pressure of the 
urine, and the return of liquid to the kidney is prevented. The blad- 
der (PL IX, fig. 2) is a dilatable egg-shaped pouch, closed behind by 
a strong ring of muscular fibers encircling its neck, and enveloped by 
looped muscular fibers extending on all sides around its body and 
closed anterior end. Stimulated by the presence of urine, these last 
contract and expel the contents through the neck into the urethra. 
This last is the tube leading backward along the floor of the pelvic 
bones and downward through the penis. In the bull this canal of the 
urethra is remarkable for its small caliber and for the S-shaped bend 
which it describes in the interval between the thighs and just above 
the scrotum. This bend is due to the fact that the retractor muscles 
are attached to the penis at this point, and in withdrawing that organ 
within its sheath they double it upon itself. The small size of the 
canal and this S-shaped bend are serious obstacles to the passing of a 



116 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

catheter to draw off the urine, yet by extending the penis out of its 
sheath the bend is effaced, and a small gum-elastic catheter, not over 
one- fourth of an inch in diameter, may with care be passed into the 
bladder. In the cow the urethra is very short, opening in the median 
line on the floor of the vulva about 4 inches in front of its external ori- 
fice. Even in the cow, however, the passing of a catheter is a matter 
of no little dilficulty, the opening of the urethra being very narrow 
and encircled by the i)rojecting membranous and rigid margins, and on 
each side of the opening is a blind pouch (canal of Gartner) into which 
the catheter will almost invariably find its way. In both male and 
female, therefore, the passage of a catheter is an operation which 
demands special skill. 

General symijtoms of urinary disorders. — These are not so promi- 
nent in cattle as in horses, yet when present they are of a similar kind. 
There is a stiff or straddling gait with the hind limbs and some difii- 
culty in turning or in lying down and rising, the act drawing forth 
a groan. The frequent passage of urine in driblets, the continuous 
escape of the urine in drops, the sudden arrest of the fiow when in 
full stream, the rhj^hmic contraction of the muscles under the anus 
without any flow resulting, the swelling of the sheath, the collection 
of hard, gritty masses on the hair surrounding the orifice of the sheath, 
the occurrence of dropsies in the limbs, under the chest or belly, or 
in either of these cavities, and finally the appearance of nervous 
stupor, may indicate serious disorder of the urinary organs. The 
condition of the urine passed may likewise lead to suspicion. It may 
be white, from crystallized carbonate of lime; brown, red, or even 
black, from the presence of blood or blood-coloring matter; j^ellow, 
from biliar}^ coloring matter; it may be frothy, from contained albu- 
men; cloudy, from phosphates; glairy, from pus; or it may show 
gritty masses, from gravel. In many cases of urinary disorder in the 
ox, however, the symptoms are by no means prominent, and unless 
special examination is made of the loins, the bladder, and the urine 
the true nature of the malady vasij be overlooked. 

DIURESIS (polyuria, DIABETES INSIPIDUS, EXCESSIVE SECRETION OF 

urine). 

A secretion of urine in excess of the normal amount maj^ be looked 
on as disease, even if the result does not lead to immediate loss of 
condition. Cattle fed on distillery swill are striking examples of such 
excess caused by the enormous consumption of a liquid food, which 
nourishes and fattens in spite of the diuresis; but the condition is 
unwholesome, and cattle that have passed four or five months in a 
swill stable have fatty livers and kidneys, and never again do well on 
ordinary food. Diuresis may further occur from increase of blood 
pressure in the kidneys (diseases of the heart or lungs which hinder 
the onward passage of the blood, the eating of digitalis, English broom, 



DISEASES OF THE UKINARY ORGANS. 117 

the contraction of the blood vessels on the surface of the body in cold 
weather, etc.); also from aci*id or diuretic plants taken with the food 
(dandelion, burdock, colchicum, dijj^italis, savin, resinous shoots, 
etc.); from excess of sugar in the food (beets, turnijis, ripe sorghum); 
also from the use of frozen food (frosted turnip tops and other vege- 
tables), and from the growths of certain molds in fodder (musty hay, 
mow-burnt haj^, moldy oats, moldy bread, etc.). Finally, alkaline 
waters and alkaline incrustations on the soil may be active causes. 
In some of these cases the result is beneficial rather than injurious, 
as when cattle affected with gravel in the kidneys are entirely freed 
from this condition by a run at grass, or by an exclusive diet of roots 
or swill. In other cases, however, the health and condition suffer, 
and even inflammation of the kidneys may occur. 

Treatment. — The treatment is mainly in tlie change of diet to a more 
solid aliment destitute of the special offensive ingredient. Boiled flax- 
seed is often the best diet or addition to the wholesome dry food, and, 
by way of medicine, doses of 2 drams each of sulphate of iron and 
iodide of potassium may be given twice dailj' . In obstinate eases, 2 
drams ergot of rye or of catechu may be added. 

bloody urine (red water, moor-ill, wood-ill, hematuria, 

hemaglobinuria). 

This is a common affection among cattle in certain localities, above 
all on damp, undrained lands, and under a backward agriculture. It 
is simply bloody urine or hematuria when the blood is found in clots, 
or when under the microscope the blood globules can be detected as 
distinctly rounded, flattened disks. It is smoky urine — hemaglobinu- 
ria — when no such distinct clots nor blood disks can be found, but 
merely a general browning, reddening, or blackening of the urine by 
the presence of dissolved blood coloring matter. The bloody urine is 
the more direct result of structural disease of the kidnej' s or urinary 
passages (inflammation, stone, gravel, tumors, hydatids, kidney worms, 
sprains of the loins), while the stained urine (hemaglobinuria) is usu- 
ally the result of some general or more distant disorder in which the 
globules are destroyed in the circulating blood and the coloring mat- 
ter dissolved in and diffused through the whole mass of the blood and 
of the urine secreted from it. As in the two forms, blood and the ele- 
ments of blood escape into the urine, albumen is always present, so 
that there is albuminuria with blood-coloring matter superadded. If 
due to stone or gravel, gritty particles are usually passed, and may 
be detected in the bottom of a dish in which the liquid is caught. If 
due to fracture or severe sprain of the loins, it is likely to be associ- 
ated not only with some loss of control over the hind limbs and with 
staggering behind, but also with a more or less perfect paralysis of 
the tail. The blood-stained urine without red globules resvilts from 
specific diseases — Texas fever (PI. XLVII, fig. 3), anthrax, spirillosis, 



118 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and from eating irritant plants (broom, savin, mercury, hellebore, 
ranunculus, convolvulus, colchicum, oak shoots, asli, privet, hazel, 
hornbeam, and other astringent, acrid, or resinous plants, etc.). The 
maybug or Spanish fly taken with the food or spread over a great extent 
of skin as a blister has a similar action. Frosted turnips or other roots 
will bring on the affection in some subjects. Among conditions which 
act by the direct destruction of the globules in the circulating blood 
Tna,y be named an excess of water in that fluid ; the use of water from 
soils rich in decomposing vegetable matter and containing alkaline 
salts, particularly nitrites; and the presence in the water and food of 
the ptomaines of bacteria growth. Hence the jjrevalence of "red 
water" in marshy districts and on clayey and other impervious soils. 
Hence, too, the occurrence of bloody urine in the advanced stages of 
several contagious diseases. Some mineral poisons — such as iodine, 
arsenic, and phosphorus taken to excess — may cause hematuria, and 
finally the sj^mptoms may be the mere result of a constitutional j)redis- 
position of the individual or family to bleeding. Exposure of the body 
to cold or wet will cause the affection in some predisposed subjects. 

The specific symptom of bloody or smoky water is a very patent one. 
It may or may not be associated with fever, with the presence or absence 
of abdominal tenderness on pressure, with a very frothy state of the 
milk or even a reddish tinge, with or without marked paleness of the 
mucous membranes, and general weakness. When direct injurj^ to 
the kidneys is the immediate cause of the disease the urine will be 
passed often, in small cxuantity at a time, and with much straining. 
When there is bloodlessness (a watery blood) from insufficient nourish- 
ment, fever is absent and the red water is at first the only symptom. 
When the active cause has been irritant plants, abdominal tenderness, 
colics, and other signs of bowel inflammation are marked features. 

Treatment. — Treatment will vary according as the cause has been 
a direct irritant operating on a subject in vigorous health or a micro- 
bian poison acting on an animal deficient in blood and vigor. In the 
first form of red water a smart purgative (1 pound to 1^ pounds 
Glauber's salts) will clear away the irritants from the bowels and allay 
the coexistent high fever. It will also serve to divert to the bowels 
much of the irritant products already absorbed into the blood, and 
will thus protect the kidneys. In many such cases a liberal supply of 
wholesome, easily digestible food will be all the additional treatment 
required. In this connection demulcent food (boiled fiaxseed, wheat 
bran) is especially good. If much blood has been lost, bitters (gen- 
tian, one-half ounce) and iron (sulphate of iron, 2 drams) should be 
given for a week. 

For cases in which excess of diuretic plants has been taken, it may 
be Avell to replace the salts by 1 to 2 pints olive oil, adding 1 ounce 
laudanum and 2 drams gum camphor. Also to apply fomentations or 
a fresh sheepskin over the loins. Buttermilk or vinegar, one-half 



DISEASES OF THE UKINAKY ORGANS. 119 

pint, or sulphuric acid, 60 drops in a pint of water, may also be 
employed at intervals as injections. In cases due to sprained or 
fractured loins, to inflamed kidneys, or to stone or gravel, the treat- 
ment will be as for the particular disease in question. 

In hematuria from anemia (watery blood), whether from insuffi- 
cient or badly adjusted rations or from the poisonous products of 
fermentations in impervious or marshy soils, the treatment must be 
essentially tonic and stimulating. Rich, abundant, and easily diges- 
tible food must be furnished. The different grains (oats, barley, 
wheat, bran, rye) and seeds (rape, linseed, cotton seed) are especially 
called for, and may be given either ground or boiled. As a bitter, 
sulphate of quinia, one-half dram, and tincture of muriate of iron, 2 
drams, may be given in a pint of water thrice a day. In some cases 
1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of oil of turpentine twice daily in milk will 
act favorably. 

But in this anemic variety prevention is the great need. The drain- 
age and cultivation of the dangerous soils is the main object. Until 
this can be accomplished young and newly purchased cattle, not yet 
inured to the poisons, must be kept from the dangerous fields and 
turned only on those which are already drained naturally or artificially. 
Further, they should have an abundant ration in which the local prod- 
uct of grass, hay, etc., is supplemented by grain or other seeds. 
Another point to be guarded against is the supply of water that has 
drained from marshes or impervious soils, rich in organic matter, as 
such is charged with nitrites, ptomaines, etc. , which directly conduce 
to the disorder. Fence out from all such waters, and supply from liv- 
ing springs or deep wells only. 

ALBUMEN IN THE URINE (ALBUMINURIA). 

In bloody urine albumen is always present as an important con- 
stituent of the blood, and in congested and inflamed kidneys it is 
present as a part of the inflammatory exudate. Apart from these, 
albumen in the urine represents in different cases a variety of diseased 
conditions of the kidneys or of distant organs. Among the additional 
causes of albuminuria may be named : (1 ) An excess of albumen in the 
blood (after easy calving with little loss of blood and before the secre- 
tion of milk has been established, or in cases of sudden suppression 
of the secretion of milk) ; (2) under increase of blood pressure (after 
deep drinking, after doses of digitalis or broom, after transfusion of 
blood from one animal to another, or in disease of the heart or lungs 
causing obstruction to the flow of blood from the veins); (3) after 
cutting (or disease) of the motor nerves of the vessels going to the 
kidneys, causing congestion of these organs; (4) violent exertion, 
hence long drives by road ; the same happens with violent muscular 
spasms, as from strychnia poisoning, lockjaw, epilepsy, and convul- 
sions; (5) in most fevers and extensive inflammations of important 



120 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

organs, like the lungs, or liver, the escape of the albumen being vari- 
ously attributed to the high teinperature of the body and disorder of 
the nerves, and to resulting congestion and disorder of the secreting 
cells of the kidneys; (6) in burns and some other congested states of 
the skin; (7) under the action of certain poisons (strong acids, phos- 
phorus, arsenic, Spanish flies, carbolic acid, and those inducing bloody 
urine) ; (8) in certain conditions of weakness or congestion of the 
secreting cells of the kidnej^s, so that they allow this element of the 
blood to escape; (9) when the food is entirely wanting in common 
salt, albumen may appear in the urine temporarily after a full meal 
containing an excess of albumen. It can also be produced experi- 
mentally by puncturing the back part of the base of the brain (the 
floor of the fourth ventricle close to the point the injury to which 
causes sugary urine). In abscess, tumor, or inflammation of the blad- 
der, ureter, or urethra, the urine is albuminous. 

It follows, therefore, that albumen in the urine does not indicate 
the existence of any one specific disease, and excepting when due to 
weakness or loss of function of the kidney cells, it must be looked on 
as an attendant on another disease, the true nature of which we must 
try to find out. These affections we must exclude one by one until 
we are left to assume the noninflammatory disorder of the secreting 
cells of the kidney. It is especially important to exclude inflamma- 
tion of the kidney, and to do this may require a microscopic examina- 
tion of the sediment of the urine and the demonstration of tlie entire 
absence of casts of the uriniferous tubes. (See "Nephritis," p. 121.) 

To detect albumen in the urine, the suspected and frothy liquid 
must be rendered sour by adding a few drops of nitric acid and tlien 
boiled in a test tube. If a solid precij>itate forms, then add a few 
more drops of nitric acid, and if the liquid does not clear it up it is 
albumen. A precipitate thrown down by boiling and redissolved by 
nitric acid is probably phosphate of lime. 

Treatment. — Treatment will usually be directed to the disease on 
which it is dependent. In the absence of any other recognizable dis- 
ease, mucilaginous drinks of boiled flaxseed, slippery elm, or gum 
may be given, tannic acid one-half dram twice daily, and fomenta- 
tions or even mustard poultices over the loins. When the disease is 
chronic and there is no attendant fever (elevation of temperature), 
tonics (hj'drochloric acid, 6 drops in a pint of water; phosphate of 
iron, 2 drams, or sulphate of quinia, 2 drams, repeated twice daily) 
may be used. In all cases the patient should be kept carefuUj^ from 
cold and wet; a warm, dry shed, or in warm weather a dry, sunny 
yard or pasture, being especiallj^ desirable. 

SUGAR IN URINE (DIABETES MELLITUS). 

This is a frequent condition of the urine in parturition fever, but is 
practically unknown in cattle as a specific disease, associated with 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. ' 121 

deranged liver or brain. As a mere attendant on another disease it 
will demand no special notice here. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS (NEPHRITIS). 

This has been divided according as it affects the different parts of 
the kidneys, as: (1) Its fibrons covering (perinephritis); (2) the 
secreting tissue of its outer portion (parenchymatous) ; (3) the con- 
nective tissue (interstitial); (4) the lining membrane of its ducts 
(catarrhal); and (5) its pelvis or sac receiving the urine (pyelitis). 
It has also been distinguished according to the changes that take 
place in the kidney, especially as seen after death, according to the 
amount of albumen present in the urine, and according as the affec- 
tion is acute or chronic. For the purposes of this work it will be con- 
venient to consider these as one inflammatory disease, making a 
distinction merely between those that are acute and those that are 
chronic or of long standing. 

The causes are in the main like those causing bloody urine, such as 
irritant and diuretic plants, Spanisli flies ai^plied as a blister or other- 
wise, exposure to cold and wet, the presence of stone or gravel in the 
kidnej^s, injuries to the back or loins, as by riding each other, the 
drinking of alkaline or selenitious water, the use of putrid, stagnant 
water, or of that containing bacteria and their products, the consump- 
tion of musty fodder, etc. (See "Hematuria," p. 117.) 

The length of the loins in cattle predisposes these to mechanical 
injury, and in the lean and especially in the thin working ox the kid- 
ney is very liable to suffer. In the absence of an abundance of loose 
connective tissue and of fat, the kidneys lie in close contact with the 
muscles of the loins, and any injury to these may tend to put the kid- 
ney and its vessels on the stretch, or to cause its inflammation by direct 
extension of the disease from the injured muscle to the adjacent kidney. 
Thus, under unusually heavy draft, under slips and falls on slippery 
ground, under sudden unexpected drooping or twisting of the loins 
from missteps or from the feet sinking into holes, under the loading 
and jarring of the loins when animals ride each other in cases of 
"heat," the kidneys are subject to injury and inflammation. A hard 
run, as when chased b}^ a dog, may be the occasion of such an attack. 
A fodder rich in nitrogenous or flesh-forming elements (beans, peas, 
vetches ( Vicia sativa), and other leguminous plants) has been charged 
with irritating the kidneys through the excess of urea, hippuric acid, 
and allied products eliminated through these organs and the tendency 
to the formation of gravel. It seems, however, that these foods are 
most dangerous when partially ripened and yet not fully matured, a 
stage of growth at which they are apt to contain ingredients irritating 
to the stomach and poisonous to the brain, as seen in their inducing 
so-called "stomach staggers." Even in the poisoning by the seeds of 
ripened but only partially cured rye grass {Lolium perenne), and 



122 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

darnel {Lolium temulentum), the kidnej^s are found violently con- 
gested with black blood. Also in the indigestions that result from 
the eating of partially ripened corn and millet some congestion of 
the kidneys is an attendant phenomenon. 

Cruzel claims that the disease as occurring locally is usually not 
alone from the acrid and resinous plants charged with inducing hema- 
turia, but also from stinking chamomile {Anthemis cotula) and field 
poppy Avhen used in the fresh, succulent condition ; also from the great 
prevalence of dead caterpillars on the pasture, or from dead Spanish 
flies in the stagnant x)ools of water. The fresh plants are believed to 
be injurious only by reason of a volatile oil which is dissipated in dry- 
ing. In the case of the stagnant water it may be questioned whether 
the chemical products of the contained ferments (bacteria) are not 
more frequently the cause of the evil than the alleged Spanish flies, 
though these are hurtful enough when present. 

Inflammation of the kidneys may further be a form or an extension 
of a specific contagious disease, such as erj^sipelas, rinderpest, septi- 
cemia, or even of poisoning by the spores of fungi. Rivolta reports 
the case of a cow with spots of local congestion and blood staining in 
the kidne}^ the affected parts being loaded with bacteria. Unfortu- 
nately he neither cultivated the bacteria nor inoculated them, and 
thus the case stands without positive demonstration that these were 
the cause of disease. 

The symptoms of nephritis are in certain cases very manifest, and 
in others so hidden that the existence of the affection can only be cer- 
tainly recognized by a microscopic examination of the urine. In vio- 
lent cases there is high fever, increase of the body temperature to 
103° F. and upward; hurried breathing, with catching inspiration; 
accelerated pulse; dry, hot muzzle; burning of the roots of the horns 
and ears, loss of appetite, suspended rumination, and indications of 
extreme sensitiveness in the loins. The patient stands with back 
arched and hind legs extended backward and outward, and passes 
water frequently, in driblets, of a high color and specific gravity, con- 
taining albumen and microscopic casts. (PI. XI, fig. 5.) AVhen made 
to move, the patient does so with hesitation and groaning, especially if 
turned in a narrow circle; and when pinched on the flank, just beneath 
the lateral bony processes of the loins, espeeiall}^ on that side on which 
the disease predominates, it flinches and groans. If the examination 
is made with the oiled hand introduced through the last gut (rectum), 
the pressure upward on the kidneys gives rise to great pain and 
efforts to escape by moving away and by active contractions of the 
rectum for the expulsion of the hand. Sometimes there is a distinct 
swelling over the loins or quarter on one or both sides. In uncas- 
trated males the testicle on the affected side is drawn uj), or is alter- 
nately raised and dropped. In all there is a liability to tremors of 
the thigh on the side affected. 



DISEASES OF THE UEINARY ORGANS. 123 

In some severe cases colicky pains are as violent as in the worst 
forms of indigestion and spasms of the bowels. The animal fre- 
quently shifts from one hind foot to the other, stamps, kicks at the 
belly, looks anxiously at its flank at frequent intervals, moans plain- 
tively, lies down and quickly gets up again, grinds its teeth, twists 
its tail, and keeps the back habitually arched and rigid and the hind 
feet advanced under the belly. The bowels may be costive and the 
feces glistening with a coat of mucus, or they may be loose and irri- 
table, and the paunch or even the bowels may become distended with 
gas (bloating) as the result of indigestion and fermentation. In some 
animals, male and female alike, the rigid arched condition of the back 
will give way to such undulating movements as are sometimes seen 
in the act of coition. 

The disease does not always appear in its full severity; but for a 
day, or even two, there ma}^ be merely loss of appetite, impaired rumi- 
nation, a disposition to remain lying down; yet when the patient is 
raised, it manifests suffering by anxiously looking at the flanks, shift- 
ing or stamping of the hind feet, shaking of the tail, and attempts to 
urinate, which are either fruitless or lead to the discharge of a small 
quantity of high-colored or perhaps bloody urine. 

In some recent slight cases, and in many chronic ones, these sj^mp- 
toms may be absent or unobserved, and an examination of the urine 
will be necessary to reach a safe conclusion. The urine may contain 
blood, or it may be cloudy from contained albumen, which coagulates 
on heating with nitric acid (see Albuminuria); it maybe slightly 
glairy from pus, or gritty particles may be detected in it. In seeking 
for casts of the uriniferous tubes, a drop may be taken with a fine 
tube from the bottom of the liquid after standing and examined under 
a power magnifying 50 diameters. If the fine eylindroid filaments 
are seen they may then be examined with a power of 200 or 250 diam- 
eters. (PI. XI, fig. 5. ) The appearance of the casts gives some clue to 
the condition of the kidneys. If made up of large rounded or slightly 
columnar cells, with a single nucleus in each cell (epithelial), the}'' 
imply comparatively slight and recent disease of the kidne}' tubes, 
the detachment of the epithelium being like what is seen in any 
inflamed mucous surface. If made up largely of the small disk- 
shaped and nonnucleated red-blood globules, they imply escape of 
blood, and usually a recent injur}^ or congestion of the kidnej^ — it maj'' 
be from sprains, blows, or the ingestion of acrid or diuretic poisons. 
If the casts are made of a clear, waxy, homogeneous substance (hya- 
line), without any admixture of opaque particles, they imply an 
inflammation of longer standing, in which the inflamed kidney tubules 
have been already stripped of their cellular (epithelial) lining. If the 
casts are rendered opaque by the presence of minute spherical granu- 
lar cells, like white-blood globules, it betokens active suppuration of 
he kidney tubes. In other cases the casts are rendered opaque by 



124 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

entangled earthy granules (carbonate of lime), or crystals of some other 
nrinar^^ salts. In still other cases the casts entangle clear, refran- 
gent globules of oil or fat, which may imply fatty degeneration of the 
kidneys or injury to the spinal cord. The presence of free pus giv- 
ing a glairy, flocculent appearance to the urine is suggestive of inflam- 
mation of the urinary pouch at the commencement of the excretory 
duct (pelvis of kidney) (PI. IX, fig. 1), especiallj^ if complicated with 
gi'itty particles of earth}^ salts. This condition is known as pyelitis. 
In the chronic cases swelling of the legs or along the lower surface of 
chest or abdomen, or within these respective cavities, is a common 
sjmiptom. So, also, stupor or coma, or even convulsions, may super- 
vene from the poisonous action of urea and other waste or morbid 
products retained in the blood. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of acute nephritis the first considera- 
tion is the removal of the cause. Acrid or diuretic plants in the 
food must be removed, and what of this kind is present in the stom- 
ach or bowels may be cleared away by a moderate dose of castor or 
olive oil; extensive surfaces of inflammation that have been blistered 
by Spanish flies must be washed clean with soapsuds ; sprains of the 
back or loins must be treated by soothing fomentations or poultices, 
or by a fresh sheepskin with its fleshy side applied on the loins, and 
the patient must be kept in a narrow stall in which it can not turn even 
its head. The patient must be kept in a warm, dry building, so that 
the skin shall be kept active rather than the kidneys. Warm blan- 
keting is equally important, or even mustard poultices over the loins 
will be useful. Blisters of Spanish flies, turpentine, or other agent 
which may be absorbed and irritate the kidneys must be avoided. The 
active fever may be checked by 15 drops tincture of aconite every four 
hours, or by one-third ounce acetanilid. If pain is very acute 1 ounce 
laudanum or 2 drams solid extract of belladonna will serve to relieve. 
When the severity of the disease has passed, a course of tonics 
(quinia, 2 drams, or gentian powder, 4 drams, daily) may be given. 
Diuretics, too, may be cautiously given at this advanced stage to 
relieve dropsy and give tone to the kidneys and general system (oil 
of turpentine, 2 teaspoonf uls ; bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoonful, 
repeated twice a day). Pure water is essential, and it should not be 
given chilled; warm drinks are preferable. 

In the chronic forms of kidney inflammation the same protection 
against cold and similar general treatment are demanded. Tonics, 
however, are important to improve the general health (phosphate of 
iron, 2 drams; powdered nux vomica, 20 grains; powdered gentian root, 
4 drams, daily). In some instances the mineral acids (nitric acid, GO 
drops, or nitro-muriatic acid, 60 drops, daily) maybe employed with the 
bitters. Mustard applied to the loins in the form of a thin pulp made 
with water and covered for an hour with paper or other impervious 
envelope, or water hotter than the hand can bear, or cupping may be 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 125 

resorted to as a counterirritant. In cupping sliave the loins, smear 
thein with lard, then take a narrow-mouthed glass, expand the air 
within it by smearing its interior with a few drops of alcohol, setting 
it on fire and instantly pressing the moutli of the vessel to the oiled 
portion of the skin. As the air within the vessel cools it contracts, 
tending to form a partial vacuum, and the skin, charged with blood, 
is strongly drawn up within it. Several of these being applied at once 
a strong derivation from the affected kidneys is secured. In no case 
of inflamed or irritable kidney should Spanish flies or oil of turpentine 
be used upon the skin. 

PARASITES OF THE KIDNEY. 

As the kidney is the usual channel by which the bacteria leave the 
system, this organ is liable to be implicated when microphytes exist 
in the blood, and congestions and blood extravasations are produced. 
In anthrax. Southern cattle fever (Texas fever), and other such affec- 
tions bloody urine is the consequence. Of the larger parasites attack- 
ing the kidney may be specially named the cystic form of the echino- 
coccus tapeworm of the dog, the cystic form of the unarmed or beef 
tapeworm of man, the diving bladderworm — the cystic form of the 
marginate tapeworm of the dog, and the giant strongyle — the largest 
of the roundworms. These give rise to general symptoms of kidney 
disease, but the true source of the trouble is only likely to be detected, 
if the heads or booklets of the tapeworm or the eggs of the round- 
worm are found on microscopic examination of the urine. 

TUMORS OF THE KIDNEY (HYPERTROPHY OR ATROPHY). 

The kidney may be the seat of cancerous or simple tumors, and it 
may be unnaturally enlarged or reduced in size, but though there may 
be signs of urinary disorder the true nature of the disease is seldom 
manifest until after death. The passing of blood and of large multi- 
nucleated cells in the urine (to be detected under the microscope) may 
betray the existence of an ulcerated cancer of the kidne3^ The pres- 
ence of cancerous enlargement of (superficial) lymphatic glands may 
further assist and confirm the decision. 

RETENTION OF URINE. 

Inability to pass urine may come from any one of three conditions — 
first, spasm of the neck of the bladder; second, paralysis of the body 
of the bladder; third, obstruction of the channel of outlet by a stone 
(calculus) (see PI. XI) or other obstacle. 

In spasm of the neck of the bladder the male animal may stand with 
the tail slightly raised and making rhythmical contractions of the 
muscle beneath the anus {accelerator urines) (see PI. IX, fig. 2), but 
without passing a drop of liquid. In the female the hind legs are 



126 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

extended and widely parted, and the back is arched as if to urinate, 
but the effort is vain. If the oiled hand is introduced into the rectum 
or vagina in the early stages of the affection, the bladder may be felt 
beneatli partially filled, but not overdistended with liquid, and its neck 
or mouth firm and rigid. In the more advanced stages of the affection 
the organ is felt as a great, tense, elastic bag, extending forward into 
the abdomen. In this condition the overdistended muscular coat of 
the bladder has lost its power of contraction, so that true paralysis has 
set in, the muscle closing the mouth of the sack alone retaining its 
contractile power. 

In paralysis of the body of the bladder attention is rarely drawn to 
the urinary disorder until the bladder has been distended to full reple- 
tion and is almost ready to give way "by rupture and to allow the 
escape of the contained liquid into the abdomen. Overdistention is 
the most common cause of the paralysis, yet it may occur from inflam- 
mation of the muscular wall of the bladder, or even from injury to 
the terminal part of the spinal marrow. In this last condition, how- 
ever, the tail is likely to be powerless, and the neck of the bladder 
may also be paralyzed, so that the urine dribbles away continuously. 

Causes. — Among the causes of spasm of the neck of the bladder may 
be named the lodgment of small stones or gravel, the feeding on irri- 
tant diuretics (see "Bloody urine, or nephritis"), the enforced reten- 
tion of urine while at work or during a painful or difficult parturition. 
The irritation attendant on inflammation of the mucous membrane 
of the bladder may be a further cause of spasm of the neck, as may 
also be inflammation of the channel (urethra) back of the neck. Exten- 
sive applications of Spanish flies to the skin, the abuse of diuretics, 
and the occurrence of indigestion and spasms of the bowels are 
further causes. So long as spasmodic colic is unrelieved, retention of 
water from spasm of the neck of the bladder usually persists! 

Treatment. — Treatment will depend largely on the cause. In indiges- 
tion the irritant contents of the bowels must be got rid of hy laxatives 
and injections of warm water ; Spanish-flj^ blisters must be washed from 
the surface; a prolonged and too active exertion must be intermitted. 
The spasm may be relaxed by injecting one-half ounce solid extract 
of belladonna in water into the rectum or by a solution of tobacco. 
Chloroform or ether may be given by inhalation, or chloral hydrate (1 
ounce) maj'^ be given in water by the mouth. Fomentations of warm 
water may be made over the loins and between the thighs, and the 
oiled hand inserted into the rectum maj^ press moderately on the 
anterior part of the bladder, which can be felt as an elastic fluctuat- 
ing bag of an oval shape just beneath. 

All other measures failing, the liquid must be drawn off through a 
tube (catheter). This is, however, exceedingly difficult, alike in male 
and female, and we can not expect an amateur to succeed in accom- 
plishing it. In the cow the opening into the bladder is found in the 



DISEASES OF THE URINAEY ORGANS. 127 

median line of the floor of the generative entrance, about 4 inches in 
front of the external opening, but it is flanked on either side by a blind 
pouch, into which the catheter will pass, in ninety-nine cases out of a 
hundred, in the hands of any but the most skilled operator. In the 
bull or steer the penis, when retracted into its sheath, is bent upon 
itself like the letter S, just above the scrotum and testicles (see PL IX, 
fig. 2), and unless this bend is effaced by extending the organ forward 
out of its sheath it is quite impossible to pass a catheter beyond this 
point. When, however, the animal can be tempted by the presenta- 
tion of a female to protrude the penis so that it can be seized and 
extended, or when it can be manipulated forward out of the sheath, it 
becomes possible to pass a catheter of small caliber (one-third inch or 
under) onward into the bladder. Youatt advised to lay open the 
sheath so as to reach and extend the penis, and others have advocated 
opening the urethra in the interval between the thighs or just beneath 
the anus, but such formidable operations are beyond the stock owner. 
The incision of the narrow urethra through the great thickness of mus- 
cular and erectile bleeding tissue just beneath the anus is esijecially an 
operation of extreme delicacy and difiiculty. Drawing off the liquid 
through the tube of an aspirator is another possible resort for the pro- 
fessional man. The delicate needle of the aspirator is inserted in 
such cases through the floor of the vagina and upper wall of the 
bladder in the female, or through the floor of the rectum (last gut) 
and roof of the bladder in the male, or finally through the lower and 
back part of the abdominal wall, just in front of the bones of the 
pelvis (pubic bones), and thence through the lower and anterior part 
of the bladder near its blind anterior end. After relief has been 
obtained the administration of belladonna in 2-dram doses daily for 
several days will tend to prevent a recurrence of the retention. 

When the body of the bladder has become benumbed or paralyzed 
by overdistention, we may seek to restore its tone by doses of one-half 
a dram of powdered nux vomica repeated daily, and by mustard plas- 
ters applied over the loins, on the back part of the belly inferiorly, 
or between the thighs. Small doses (2 drams) of balsam of copaiba are 
sometimes useful in imparting tone to the partly paralyzed organ. 

INCONTINENCE OF URINE (PALSY OF THE NECK OF THE BLADDER). 

This may occur from disease or injury to the posterior part of the 
spinal cord or from broken back, and in these cases the tail is likely 
to be paralyzed, and it may be also the hind limbs. In this case the 
urine dribbles away constantly, and the oiled hand in the vagina or 
rectum will feel the half-filled and flaccid bladder beneath and may 
easily empty it by pressure. 

Treatment. — Treatment is only successful when the cause of the 
trouble can be remedied. After these (sprains of the back, etc.) have 
recovered, blisters (mustard) on the loins, the lower part of the abdo- 



128 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

men, or between the thighs may be resorted to with success. Two 
drams daily of copaiba or of solid extract of belladonna or 2 grains 
Spanish flies may serve to restore the lost tone. These failing, the 
use of electric currents may still prove successful. 

URINARY CALCULI (STONE, OR GRAVEL). 
[PL XI, figs. 1, 2, 3.] 

Stone, or gravel, consists in hard bodies mainly made up of the solid 
earthy constituents of the urine which have crystallized out of that 
liquid at some part of the urinary passage, and have remained as 
small particles (gravel), or have concreted into large masses (stone, 
calculus). In cattle it is no uncommon thing to find them distending 
the practically microscopic tubes in the red substance of the kidnej^ 
having been deposited from the urine in the solid form almost as soon 
as that liquid has been separated from the blood. These stones appear 
as white objects on the red ground formed by cutting sections of the 
kidney, and are essentially products of the drj^ feed of winter, and 
most common in working oxen, which are called upon to exhale more 
water from the lungs and skins than are the slop-fed and inactive 
cows. Little water being introduced into the body with the food, and 
a considerable amount being expelled with the breath and perspira- 
tion in connection with the active life, the urine becomes small in 
amount, but having to carry out all waste material from the tissues 
and the tissue-forming food, it becomes so charged with solids that it 
is ready to deposit them on the slightest disturbance. If, therefore, 
a little of the water of such concentrated urine is reabsorbed at any 
point of the urinary passages, the remainder is no longer able to hold 
the solids in solution, and they are at once precipitated in the solid 
form as gravel or commencing stone. In cattle, on the other hand, 
which are kept at pasture in summer, or which are fed liberally on 
roots, potatoes, pumi)kins, apples, or ensilage in winter, this concen- 
trated condition of the urine is not induced, and under such circum- 
stances, therefore, the formation of stone is practically unknown. 
Nothing more need be said to show the controlling influence of dry 
feeding in producing gravel and of a watery ration in preventing it. 
Calculus in cattle is essentially a disease of winter, and of such cattle 
as are denied succulent food and are confined to dry fodder as their 
exclusive ration. While there are exceptions, they are so rare that 
they do not invalidate this general rule. It is true that stone in the kid- 
ney or bladder is often found in the summer or in animals feeding at 
the time on a more or less succulent ration, yet such masses usually date 
back to a former period when the animal was restricted to a drj^ ration. 

In this connection it should be noted that a great drain of water 
from the system by any other channel than the kidneys predisposes 
to the production of gravel or stone. In case of profuse diarrhea, for 
example, or of excessive secretion of milk, there is a corresponding 



DISEASES OF THE UlimARY ORGANS. 129 

diminution of the water of the blood, and as the whole amount of tlie 
blood is thus decreased, and as tlie quantity of urine secreted is largely 
influenced b}^ the fullness of the blood vessels and the pressure exerted 
upon their walls from within, it follows that with this decrease of the 
mass of the blood and the lessening of its pressure outward there 
will be a corresponding decrease of urine. The waste of the tissues, 
however, goes on as before, and if the waste matter is jiassed out 
through the kidneys it must be in a more concentrated solution, and 
the more concentrated the urine the greater the danger that the solids 
will be deposited as small crystals or calculi. 

Again, the concentrated condition of the urine which predisposes 
to such deposits is favored bj^ the quantity of lime salts that may be 
Ijresent in the water drunk by the animal. Water that contains 20 
or 30 grains of carbonate or sulj^hate of lime to the gallon must con- 
tribute a large addition of solids to the blood and urine as compared 
with soft waters from which lime is absent. In this connection it is a 
remarkable fact that stone and gravel in the domesticated herbivora 
are notoriously prevalent on many limestone soils, as on the limestone 
formations of central and western New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
and Michigan; on the calcareous formations of Norfolk, Suffolk, Der- 
byshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire, in England; in Landes in 
France, and around Munich in Bavaria. It does not follow that the 
abundance of lime in the water and fodder is the main cause of the 
calculi, since other poisons which are operative in the same districts 
in causing goiter in both man and animal probably contribute to the 
trouble, yet the excess of earthy salts in the drinking water can hardly 
fail to add to the saturation of both blood and urine, and thereby to 
favor the ijrecipitation of the urinary solids from their state of solution. 

The known results of feeding cattle a generous or forcing ration in 
which phosphate of lime is x^resent to excess adds additional force to 
the view just advanced. In the writei''s experience, the Second Duke 
of Oneida, a magnificent product of his world-famed family, died as 
the result of a too liberal allowance of wheat bran, fed with the view 
of still further improving the bone and general form of the Duchess 
strain of Shorthorns. Lithotomy was performed and a number of 
stones removed from the bladder and urethra, but the patient suc- 
cumbed to an inflammation of the bowels, induced by the violent 
purgatives given before the writer arrived, under the mistaken idea 
that the straining- had been caused by intestinal impaction. In this 
case not onl}^ the Second Duke of Oneida, but the other males of the 
herd as well, had the tufts of hairs at the outlet of the sheath encased 
in hard, cylindroid sheaths of urinary salts, precipitated from the 
liquid as it ran over them. The tufts were in reality resolved into a 
series of hard, roller-like bodies, more or less constricted at intervals, 
as if beaded. 

8267—04 9 



130 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



When it is stated tliat the asli oC the wliole grain of wheat is but 3 
per cent, while the asli of wheat hi'an is 7.3 per cent, and that in the 
case of the former 4G.38 per cent of the ash is phosi)horie acid, and in 
that of the latter 50 per cent, it can easily be understood how a too 
liberal use of wheat bran should prove dangerous if fed dry. The 
following tjible shows the relative proi^ortion of ash and x)hosphoric 
acid in wheat bran and in some common farm seeds: 

Ash and phosphoric acid in bran and some common farm seeds. 



Kind of graiu. 



Wheat bran 

Wheat, grain 

Oats, grain 

Barley, grain 

Bean, grain 

Peas, grain _ 

Tare, grain 

Indian corn, grain 
Rye, grain 



Ash. 



Per cf. 
7.H 
3 

2.50 
3.10 
3.10 
2.75 
3 

1.5 
1.6 



Phosphoric 
acid in ash. 



Pir cent 
50 
46. 
26. 
33. 
31. 
34. 
36. 



39. 



Pho.sphoric 
acid in the 
entire food. 



■ cent. 

3.65 

1. 3914 
.6625 

1.2276 
.9864 
.9.57 

1.086 



. 6:^4 



Wheat bran, it will be observed, contains three times as much phos- 
phoric acid as is found in any of the other grains, and four times as 
much as oats, beans, pease, or lye; so that if fed in excess it will 
readily overcharge the urine with phosphates. 

There is another point to be considered, however, in estimating this 
danger. Wheat bran contains a far greater amount of albuminoids 
and other nitrogen-containing constituents than the common grains 
(these being made up mainly of starch, which contains no nitrogen); 
and, all nitrogen-bearing products contained in the blood and tissues 
being expelled from the body mainly through the kidnej's in the form 
of urea and (in cattle) hippuric acid, it follows that the excess of 
urea formed when such food is consumed must load the urine with 
solids and bring it constantly nearer to the point of saturation, when 
such solids (or the least soluble of them) must be dei)osited. 

The following table will show the relative amounts of the nitrogen- 
beai-ing products in wheat bran and some of our common grains: 

Nifrogenous matter in icheat hran and some common farm seeds. 



Kind of grain. 



Wheat bran.. 
Wheat, grain 
Barley, grain . 
Oats, grain... 
Rye, grain ... 
Indian corn . . 



Albuminoids Woody fiber 
Cnitroge- (nitroge- 
nous), nous). 



Percent. 
16.1 
12. 5 
12.4 
11.8 
10.6 
II). 1 



Per cent. 

8 

1.8 
2. 7 
9.5 

1.7 
1.7 



Total nitrog 
enous-bear- 
ing constit- 
uents. 



Per cent. 

24.1 
14.3 
15.1 
21.3 
12.3 
11.8 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 131 

It will be observed that, with the exception of oats, none of the 
grains eontaiji more than two-thirds of the nitrogenous material 
present in the wheat bran, while in the case of rye and maize there is 
practically but one-half. Even in the case of oats the albuminoids, 
which are the more digestible principles, and therefore those that 
are the most easily and speedil}" converted into urea, are present only 
to the amount of two-thirds of that which exists in the wheat bran. 
With such an excess of ash, of phosphates, and of nitrogenous (urea- 
forming) constituents in wheat bran, its tendency to favor the forma- 
tion of calculi is fully explained. It must not, however, be inferred 
that wheat bran is not a valuable foodstuff. The inference is only 
that it should be fed with an abundance of water, as a sloppy mash, 
or in combination witli an abundance of roots, potatoes, pumpkins, 
or other succulent aliment. 

In this connection the presence of magnesia in the food or water 
must be named as favoring calculous formations in the urinary pas- 
sages. The exijlanation is that while the phosx)hate of magnesia 
thrown out in the urine is soluble in water, the compound phosphate 
of ammonia and magnesia is insoluble, and, accordingly, if at anj^ 
time ammonia is introduced iiito urine containing the i^hosphate of 
magnesia, there is instantly formed the ammonio-magnesium phos- 
phate, which is as promptly deposited in the solid form. The com- 
mon source of ammonia in such cases is from decomposition of the 
urea in fermenting urine. But in order to produce this a ferment is 
necessar}", and therefore, as an additional prerequisite, the i^resence 
of bacteria, or fungi, in the urine is essential. These ferments may 
make their way from without along the urinary passage (urethra), 
and their propagation in the bladder is greatly favored bj' the pro- 
longed retention of urine, as in case of. spasm of the neck of the 
bladder or obstruction bj' an already existing stone. Another mode 
of entrance of the ferment is an uncleanly catheter used to draw off 
the urine. Still another is the elimination through the kidneys of 
the bacteria of infectious diseases, or of such as, without jiroducing 
a general infection, yet determine fermentation in the urine. The 
precipitation is favored not only by the production of ammonia, but 
also by the formation of viscid (colloid) products of fermentation. In 
this sense bacteria are most important factors in causing gritty 
deposits in the urine. 

Another insoluble salt Avhich enters largely into the composition of 
many urinary calculi of the ox is carbonate of lime. This is derived 
mainly from the lime in the food and water and from the carbon diox- 
ide formed b}^ the oxidation of the organic acids in the fodder. These 
organic acids, being composed of carbon, hj'drogen, and oxygen (with- 
out nitrogen), are resolved b}^ the addition of oxygen into carbon 
dioxide (COj) and water (HoO). The carbon dioxide unites with the 
lime in the blood to form carbonate of lime, and in this state passes 



132 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



into the urine. Now, carbonate of lime is soluble in water containing 
free or uncombined carbon dioxide, but is precipitated whenever the 
latter is withdrawn. It is only necessary, therefore, to have in the 
urine sufficient lime or other available base to unite with all the free 
carbon dioxide in order to bring about the precipitation of the dis- 
solved carbonate of lime in the solid crystallized form. Hence it is 
that', of all sediments in the urine of herbivora, this is the most fre- 
quent and usually the most abundant. 

A less common constituent of urinary calculi is the insoluble oxalate 
of lime. In this case the lime is derived as before from the food or 
water, or both, while the oxalic acid is a product of the oxidation of 
organic acids of the food, less oxygen having been used than in the 
formation of carbon dioxide. The final product of the complete oxida- 
tion of these acids is carbon dioxide, but when less oxygen is furnished 
owing to some disease of the lungs or a disease of the nerve centers, 
which lessens the activity of the breathing, then oxalic acid may be 
produced. Then if this oxalic acid comes in contact with lime, it is 
instantly precipitated as crystals of oxalate of lime. 

Another inorganic substance at times found in urinary calculi is 
silica (SiOg). This contributes largel}^ to giving stiffness to the stems 
of growing plants, and in most of our cereals and grasses makes up a 
large proi)ortion of the ashes of the burnt plant. It is found in the 
soluble form in combination as silicate of potash, but at times is dis- 
placed by oxalic or other acid and then appears as gritty, sandy par- 
ticles in the stem. This gritty, insoluble silica is especially noticeable 
among the horsetails {Eqitisefacecc), bamboos, and sedges. The per- 
centage of silica in the ash of several common fodder plants is given 
below : 

Silica in ash of various fodder plants. 



Ash of— 



Wheat sti'aw-- 
Oats and husk 

Oat straw 

Barley straw . . 
Rye straw 



Silica. 



Per cent. 
67.6 
38.6 
35.4 
73.1 
64.4 



Ash of- 



Rye-grass hay. 
Wheat chaff ... 

Oat chaff 

Barley awn 



Silica. 



Per cen t. 
64.57 
81.2 
59.9 

70.7 



It is only soluble silica that is taken up into the system, and it is in 
this form (usually as silicate of potash or soda) that it enters the urine, 
but all that is wanted to precipitate it in crystalline form as a gritty 
sand is the presence of oxalic or other acid having a stronger affinity 
for its base (potash or soda). 

Other conditions, however, enter largely into the causation of stone, 
or gravel. A high density of urine resulting from a highly saturated 
condition is often present for a length of time without any precipita- 
tion of solid materials. Urea and carbonates may be present in 



DISEASES OF THE UEINAKY ORGANS. 133 

excess, the food may be given dry, and drinking water may be deficient 
in amonnt without any deposition of stone, or gravel. The presence 
of noncrystalline organic matter in the nrine becomes in such cases an 
exciting cause. Kainej^and Ord have shown experimentally that col- 
loid (noncrystallizable) bodies like mucus, epithelial cells, albumen, 
pus, blood, hyaline casts of the kidney tubes, etc., not only determine 
the precipitation of crj^stallizable salts from a strong solution, but they 
determine the precipitation in the form of globular masses, or minute 
spheres, which, by further similar accessions, become stones, or calculi, 
of various sizes. The salts that are deposited by mere chemical reac- 
tion without the intervention of colloids aj)pear in the form of sharply 
defined angular crystals, and hence the rough, jagged crystals of oxa- 
late of lime or ammonio-magnesium phosphate. Heat intensifies the 
action of the colloids in causing precipitation of the dissolved salts, so 
that the temperature of the kidneys and bladder constitute favorable 
conditions. Colloids that are undergoing decomposition are also spe- 
ciall}^ powerful, so that the j)resence of bacteria, or fungi, causing fer- 
mentation is an important factor. 

In looking, therefore, for the immediate causes of urinary calculi we 
must accord a high i)lace to all those conditions which determine the 
presence of excess of mucus, albumen, pus, blood, kidney casts, blood- 
coloring matter, etc., in the urine. A catarrhal inflammation of the 
pelvis of the kidney, of the ureter, or of the bladder, generating excess 
of mucus or pus; inflammation of the kidneys, causing the discharge 
into the urinary passages of blood, albumen, or hyaline casts; inflam- 
mation of the liver, lungs, or other distant organ, resulting in the 
escape of albumen in the urine; disorders of the liver or of the blood- 
forming functions, resulting in hematuria or hemoglobinuria; sprains 
or other injuries to the back, or disease of the spinal marrow, which 
cause the escape of blood with the urine ; the presence in the bladder 
of a bacterian ferment, which determines the decomposition of the 
mucus and urea, the evolution of ammonia and the consequent 
destruction of the protecting cellular (epithelial) lining of the blad- 
der, or the irritation caused by the presence of an already formed 
calculus, may produce the colloid or uncrystallizable body that proves 
so effective in the precipitation of stone or gravel. It has long been 
known that calculi Avill almost infallibly form around any foreign 
body introduced into the kidne}^ or bladder, and I have seen a large 
calculous mass surrounding a splinter of an arrow that had penetrated 
and broken off in the body of a deer. The explanation is now satis- 
factory — the foreign body carries in with it bacteria, wdiich act as fer- 
ments upon the urine and mucus in addition to the mechanical injury 
caused by its presence. If such a body has been introduced through 
the solid tissues, there is, in addition, the presence of the blood and 
lymph derived from the wounded structures. 



184 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

CLASSIFIC'ATIOX OF URINARY CALCULI. 

Urinary calculi arc most conveniently divided according to the local- 
it}- in Avliicli they are found. Thus we find first renal calculi, formed 
in the kidney (PI. XI, fig. 1), and which for cattle must be again 
divided into calculi of the uriniferous iuhes and calculi of the pelvis. 
The second class are named ureteral calculi, because they are found in 
the duct leading from the kidney to the bladder (ureter). The third 
class are the vesical calculi, from the bladder or vesicle in which they 
are found. The fourth class are the urethral calculi, and are found in 
the duct leading outward from the bladder through the penis (urethra). 
Tlie fifth and last class are the preputial calculi, since thej^ are found 
Avithin the sheath of the penis (prepuce). 

Calculi maj" also be classed according to their chemical composition, 
and this has the advantage of suggesting the special cause of each as 
found in the food, water, soil, or general condition of health. This 
classification affords no guide to their location or sj^mptoms, as calculi 
of the same chemical composition may be found at any j)art of the uri- 
nary passages, as those formed in the kidney maj" pass on through all 
the various passages outward, unless it is found at anj^ point of their 
progress that they have grown so large that the passage will not admit 
them. The following are among the concretions found in the various 
parts: 

(1) Coralline calculi. — These are of a dull- white color and irregular 
surface, like coral. They are made up of hard and resistant layers 
evenly deposited around a central nucleus. (PL XI, fig. 3. ) Their 
specific gravity is 1,760, water being 1,000, and they contain 74 jjer cent 
of carbonate of lime with some carbonate of magnesia, organic matter, 
and a trace of carbonate of iron. Yellowish white, smooth, round cal- 
culi of the same chemical composition are met with. 

(2) Pearly calculi. — These are more frequent than the first-named 
variety. They are very hard and smooth on the surface, reflecting a 
play of various colors after the fashion of a pearl. This peculiarity 
appears to be caused \>y the thinness and semitransparency of the 
superposed layers. Thej^ have a specific gravity of 2,109 to 2,351, and 
nearly the same chemical composition as the coralline variety. Gold- 
ing lUrd found a specimen of this kind formed of carbonate of lime 
an<l oi'ganic matter only. 

(3) Green calculi {metalloid calculi). — These are usualh^ small and 
numerous, as they are exceedingly common. They are of a very hard 
consistency, and have a clear, polished, greenish surface of almost 
metallic brilliancy. Tliey have a specific gravity of 2,301, and a com- 
position almost identical with the second variety. 

(4) IJliife calculi. — Pure, white, smooth, lustrous calculi are rare. 
Tliey have a specific gravity of 2,307, and contain as much as 02 per 
cent of carlionate of lime with carbonate of magnesia and organic 
matter. 



DISEASES OF THE UKIIS^ARY ORGANS. 135 

(5) Ammonio-magnesium calculi. — These are of a grajish color and 
a veiy rough crystalline surface, whicli proves \Gvy irritating to tlie 
mucous membrane. They have a specific gravity of 1,100 to 1,037, 
and are composed eliiefl}' of ammonio-magnesium phosphate, oxalate 
of lime, and organic matter, with some little carbonate of lime and 
magnesia. 

(0) Siliceous calculi. — These are clear, smooth, and hard, and usu- 
ally siDherical. They have a specific gravity of 1,265 to 1,370, and 
contain 57 per cent of silica with carbonates of iron and magnesia, 
organic matter, and traces of iron. In other specimens of siliceous 
calculi there was a specific gravity of 3,122, and there was 79 to 85 
per cent of carbonate of lime together with carbonate of magnesia, 
and iron, silica, and c^'ganic matter. Others are almost exclusively 
made of silica. 

(7) Oxalate of lime calculi {mulberry cal-cuJi) (PI. XI, fig. 2). — These 
are characterized by their extremely rough, angular surface, formed 
by the octahedral crj'-stals of oxalate of lime. Their specific gravity 
may be 3,441, and they contain oxalate of lime to the extent of 81 
per cent, together with carbonates of lime and magnesia and organic 
matter. • 

(8) Gravel {pulfaceous deposits). — Simple crystals maj'be met with 
at anj^ point from the kidnej'S to the external opening at the end of 
the prepuce (sheath), and they may appear singly, as crj^stals, or they 
may accumulate in masses of fine spherical crystals almost like dirty 
powdered chalk suspended in water. In the ox this is especially com- 
mon as a collection in the sheath, distending that into a soft, doughy 
swelling. 

FORMS OF CALCULI IX DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. 

Apart from the rough crj'stalline surfaces of the calculi of oxalate 
of lime and ammonio-magnesium phosphate, the general tendency' is 
to a smooth, round outline. At times, however, they show more or 
less flattening with rounded angular edges, caused by the contact and 
mutual friction of two calculi. Sometimes two or more stones lying 
together become united into one by a new external deposit, and the 
resulting mass then shows rounded swellings on opposite sides. The 
large calculi occupying the pelvis of the kidneys usually shows a 
central part having the outline of the main cavity of the pelvis and 
two or more projections that have been molded into corresponding- 
branches or channels which lead to corresponding lobes of the kidney. 
In winter and spring small concretions in the form of i^lates are often 
met with in the branches of the pelvis, having been formed and 
molded in the confined space between the projecting papilla and the 
surrounding cup-like branch of the pelvis. Finally, the pulp-like 
deposits in the sheath and elsewhere are made up of globular masses, 
individually so small as to be often practically microscopic. 



136 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

STONE IN THE KIDNEY ( RENAL CALCULI). 
[PI. XI, fig. 1.] 

In an animal leading the quiet, uneventful life of the ox, stones of 
large size may be j) resent in the kidney without producing any dis- 
order appreciable to the people about him. In cattle fattened on dry 
food in winter, on our magnesian limestone of New York, it is excep- 
tional to find the substance of the kidney free from calculi about the 
size of a grain of wheat or less, and standing out as white objects in 
the general red of the cut surface of the organ. Similarlj^ around the 
I)apill?B in the cup-like arms of the pelvis we find minute flattened or 
more or less rounded yellowish white concretions. Even the large 
concretions may prove apparently harmless. ^I have a calculus sev- 
eral ounces in weight which filled the entire pelvis of the kidney, which 
was found by accident in a fat carcass while being dressed. In work 
oxen, however, such concretions maj' give rise to sj'mptoms of kidney 
disease, such as stiffness of the loins, shown especially in the acts 
of rising or turning, weakness of the hind parts when set to pull a 
heav}^ load, an irritability of the kidneys, shown by the frequent j)as- 
sage of urine in small quantity, tenderness of the loins, shown when 
they are pinched or lightly struck, and it may be the passage of blood 
or minute gritty masses with the urine. If the attack is severe, what 
is called "renal colic " (kidney colic) may be shown by frequent uneasy 
shifting of the hind limbs, shaking or twisting of the tail, looking 
round at the flanks, and lying down and rising again at short inter- 
vals without apparent cause. The frequent passage of urine, the 
blood or gritty masses contained in it, and perhaps the hard, stony 
cylinders around the tufts of hair of the sheath, show that the source 
of the suffering is the uriuar}^ organs. In bad cases active inflamma- 
tion of the kidneys may set in. (See "Nephritis," p. 121.) 

URETERAL CALCULI. 

These are small stones which have passed from the pelvis of the 
kidney into the canal (ureter) leading from the kidney to the bladder, * 
but, being too large to pass on easily, have blocked that canal and 
forced the urine back upon the kidney. The result is the production 
of sjnnptoms more violent than in renal calculi, though not varj'ing, 
save in intensity, from those of renal colic. In case of complete and 
unrelieved obstruction, the secretion of the kidney on that side is 
entirely abolished, and it becomes the seat of passive congestion, and 
it may even be absorbed in greater part or as a Avhole, leaving only a 
fibrous sac containing fluid with a urinous odor. In small cattle, in 
which the oiled hand introduced into the last gut may reach the 
affected part, the distended ureter may be felt as a tense, elastic cord, 
extending forward from the point of obstruction on the lateral wall of 
the pelvis and beneath the loins toward the kidney. If relief is 



DISEASES OF THE URINAKY OEGANS. 137 

obtained by the onward passage of the stone a free flow of urine 
nsiuill}^ follows, in the midst of Avhich may often be found gritty 
masses. If tlie outlets from both kidneys are similarly blocked, the 
animal becomes poisoned hy the retention in the blood of the elements 
of the urine, and by their reabsori^tion after secretion. 

Treatment of renal and ureteral calculi. — Treatment is not very suc- 
cessful, as only the smallest calculi can pass through the ureter and 
enter the bladder, and even if they should do so they are liable to a 
progressive increase there, so that later they may cause the symptoms 
of stone in the bladder. Fortunately, ordinary dairy, growing, or 
fattening cattle rarely show evident symj^toms of illness, and though 
they should do so they can usually be fattened and slaughtered before 
the health is seriousl}" impaired. In work oxen the case is different, and 
acute symptoms may develop, but even then the animal may often be 
fitted for the butcher. When treatment is demanded it is primarily 
soothing and antispasmodic. Fomentations with warm water over the 
loins should be persisted in without intermission until relief has been 
secured. The soothing effect on the kidney will often relieve inflam- 
mation and irritation, should the stone be in that situation, while if in 
the ureter the warm fomentations will at once soothe irritation, relax 
spasm of the muscular coat of the canal, and favor an abundant secre- 
tion from the kidney, which, pressing on the obstructing stone, may 
slowly push it on into the bladder. Large doses of laudanum (2 
ounces) or of solid extract of belladonna (2 drams) will not only soothe 
the pain but relax the sjjasm and favor the onward passage of the 
calculus. The animal should be encouraged to drink large quantities 
of cool water to favor the free secretion of a very watery urine, which 
w^ill not only serve to obviate irritation and continued deposit caused 
by a highly concentrated urine, but will press the stone onward toward 
the bladder, and even in certain cases will tend to disintegrate it by 
solution of some of its elements, and thus to favor its crumbling and 
expulsion. This is a principle which must never be lost sight of in 
the treatment of calculi. The immersion of the stone in a liquid of a 
lower specific gravity than that in which it has formed and grown tends 
to dissolve out the more soluble of its component parts, and thus to 
destroj^ its density and cohesion at all points, and thei'eby to favor its 
complete disintegration and expulsion. This explains why cattle 
taken from a herd on our magnesian limestone in spring, after the 
long dry feeding of winter, usually furnish renal calculi, while cattle 
from the same herd in the fall, after a summer's run on a succulent 
pasture, are almost always free from concretions. The abundance of 
liquid taken in the green food and expelled through the kidneys and 
the low density or watery nature of the urine have so opened the 
texture and destroyed the density of the smaller stones and gravel 
that they have all been disintegrated and removed. This, too, is the 
main reason why benefit is derived from a prolonged stay at mineral 



138 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

springs by the human victims of gravel. If they had swallowed the 
same niimber of quarts of pure water at home and distributed it at 
suitable intervals over each day, they would have benefited largely 
witliout a visit to the springs. 

It follows from what has been just said that a succulent diet, includ- 
ing a large amount of water (gruels, sloi)i)y mashes, turnips, beets, 
l^otatoes, apples, pumpkins, ensilage, succulent grasses), is an impor- 
tant factor in the relief of the milder forms of stone and gravel. 

Prevention. — Prevention of calculus especially demands this supply 
of water and watery rations on all soils and in all conditions in which 
there is a i)redisi)osition to tl is disease. It must also be sought by 
attempts to obviate all those conditions mentioned above as causative 
of the malady. Sometimes good rain water can be furnished in lime- 
stone districts, but putrid or bad smelling rain water is to be avoided 
as probably more injurious than that from the limestone. Unsuccess- 
ful attempts have been made to dissolve calculi by alkaline salts and 
mineral acids, respectively, but their failure as a remedy does not 
necessarily condemn them as preventives. One dram of caustic 
potash or of hydrochloric acid may be given daily in the drinking 
water. In diametrically opposite ways these attack and decompose 
the less soluble salts and form new ones which are more solul)]e 
and therefore little disposed to precipitate in the solid form. Both 
are beneficial as increasing the secretion of urine. In cases where 
the diet has been too highly charged with i)hosijhates (wlieat bran, 
etc.), these aliments must be restricted and water allowed ad libitum. 
Where the crystals passed with the urine are the sharp angular 
(octahedral) ones of oxalate of lime, then the breathing should be 
made more active by exercise, and any disease of the lungs subjected 
to appropriate treatment. If the crj'stals are triangular prisms of 
ammonia-magnesinm phosphate or star-like forms with feathery raj^s, 
the indications are to withhold the food or water that abounds in 
magnesia and check the fermentation in the urine by attempts to 
destroy its bacteria. In the latter direction plenty of ijure water, 
diuretics, and a daily dose of oil of turpentine in milk, or a dose thrice 
a day of a solution containing one-tenth grain each of biniodide of 
mercury and iodide of potassium would be indicated. 

In considering the subject of prevention, it must never be forgotten 
that any disease of a distant organ which determines the passage from 
the blood into the urine of albumen or any other colloid (uncrystalliz- 
able) body is strongly provocative of calculus, and should, if possible, 
be corrected. Apart from cases due to geological formation, faulty 
feeding, and other causes, the grand preventive of calculus is a long 
summer's pasturage of succulent grasses, or in winter a diet of ensilage 
or other succulent food. 

The calculi formed in part of silica demand special notice. This 
agent is secreted in the urine in tlie form of silicate of i)otash and is 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 139 

thrown down as insoluble silica when a stronger acid displaces it by 
combining with the potash to its exclusion. In cases of siliceous 
calculi, accordingly, the appropriate chemical iDrevention is caustic 
potash, which being present in the free state would attract to itself 
any free acid and leave the silica in its soluble condition as silicate of 
potash. 

STONE IX THE BLADDER (VESICAL CALCULUS, OR URETHRAL CALCULUS). 

Stone in the bladder vany be of any size, but in the ox does not 
usually exceed half an inch in diameter. There may, however, be a 
number of small calculi; indeed, the}' are sometimes so small and 
numerous as to form a small pnlpy magma by which the bladder is 
considerabl}' distended. 

Symj^toms. — The symptoms of stone in the bladder may be absent 
until one of the masses escapes into the urethra, but when this occurs 
the escape of urine is prevented, or it is allowed to pass in drops or 
driblets only, and the effect of such obstruction becomes manifest. 
The point of obstruction is not always the same, but it is most fre- 
quentl}' at the S-shajjed curve of the penis, just al)ove the testicles or 
scrotum. In cows and heifers the urethra is so short and becomes so 
widely dilated during the urination that the calculi easily escaj^e in 
the flow of liquid and dangerous sjnnptoms practically never appear. 

Even in the male the signs of illness are at first very slight. A 
close observer may notice the cylinders of hard, earthy materials 
encircling the tufts of hair at the opening of the prepuce. It may 
further be observed that the stall remains dry and that the animal has 
not lieen seen to pass water when out of doors. The tail may at times 
be gently raised and contractions of the muscle (accelerator urince) 
beneath the anus (PL IX, fig. 2) may take place in a rhythmical or 
pulsating manner. But as a rule no symptom is noticed for a couple 
of daj's, only the animal is lacking in his usnal spirits. By this time 
the constantly accumulating urine has distended the bladder bej^ond 
its power of resistance and a rupture occurs, allowing the urine to 
escape into the cavity of the abdomen. Then dullness increases; the 
animal lies down most of his time; he becomes stupid and sometimes 
drowsj^ with reddish brown congestion of the lining membrane of the 
ej'elids; XJi'essure on the abdomen causes pain, flinching, and perhai)s 
groaning, and the lowest part of the belly fluctuates more and more as 
the escaping urine accumulates in greater and greater amount. If at 
this stage the oiled hand is introduced into the rectum (last gut), the 
animal flinches when pressure is made downward on the floor of the 
pelvis, and no round, distended bladder is felt. If the same examina- 
tion is made prior to the rupture the rounded, tense, elastic bladder 
is felt extending forward into the abdomen, containing one or two 
gallons of liquid. There may be uneasy shifting of the hind limbs 



140 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and twisting of tlie tail, also frequent lying down and rising, but 
these sjnnptoms are exceptional. 

When the obstruction is low down between the thighs (at the S- 
shaped flexure), the line of the j)ulsating urethra from the anus down- 
ward may be felt distended with liquid, and though it is seldom easy 
to distinguish the exact seat of the stone by the hard swelling of the 
urethra, yet there is usuallj'^ tenderness at the point of obstruction, 
and from this it may be accurately located. 

Treatment. — The treatment of stone in the bladder or urethra con- 
sists in the removal of the stone by incision and the use of forceps. 
(PL XI, fig. 4.) When the stone has been arrested at the S-shaped 
flexure just above the scrotum, the patient being lean, the thickened 
tender part of the penis maj' be seized between the fingers and thumb 
of the left hand, while the calculus is exposed by a free incision Avith 
the knife held in the riglit. If there is no other obstruction between 
this T3oint and the bladder, aiid if the latter has not yet ruptured, a 
flow of urine should take place from the opening. If there is no escaj)© 
of liquid a catheter or sound, one-fourth of an inch in diameter, must 
be passed up through the canal (urethra) until it is arrested by the 
next stone, on which a similar incision should then be made to effect 
its extraction. In case the stone has been arrested in the portion of 
the urethra which is in front of the arch of the hip bone and inside 
the pelvis, it can only be reached by making an opening into the ure- 
thra beneath the anus and over the arch of the hip bone, and from 
this orifice exploring the urethra with fine forceps to the neck of the 
bladder or until the stone has been reached and extracted. The opera- 
tion requires a very accurate knowledge of the j)arts, owing to the 
small size of the canal (urethra) to be opened and the great thickness 
of erectile tissue to be cut through, while the free flow of blood is 
blinding to the oi^erator. A staff should always be passed up through 
the urethra from the lower wound, if such has been made; or, in case 
of its absence, through the whole length of the penis, that organ hav- 
ing been drawn out of its sheath until the S-shaped curve has been 
effaced and the course of the canal rendered straight. Upon the end 
of this staff the incision can be made with far more confidence and 
certainty. The operation can onlj- be undertaken by a skilled veter- 
inary anatomist, but the hints given above may be valuable in show- 
ing the stock owner when he is being properly served in such a case. 

In outlying districts, where no skilled operator can be had, a trans- 
verse incision may be made with a clean sharp knife through the root 
of the penis, just over the arch of the hip bone, when the urine will 
flow out in a full stream. The attendant bleeding may be ignored, or 
if profuse it may be checked by packing the wound firmly with cotton 
wool for some hours. The urine will continue to escape by the wound, 
and the ox should be fattened for the butcher. 



DISEASES OF THE UEINARY ORGANS. 141 

The immediate relief is not to be loolced upon as a permanent cure, 
as tlie calculi in the affected ox are usually numerous and later attacks 
are therefore to be looked for. Hence it is desirable to fatten and 
kill such cases after a successful ojjeration. If a breeding animal is 
too valuable to be killed, he should be subjected to preventive meas- 
ures, as laid down under "Stone in the kidney," page 13G. 

It should be added that when the bladder is filled with a soft magma 
a catheter maj^ be introduced through the whole length of the urethra, 
to be employed in pumping water into the bladder. This water is 
extracted through the same channel when it has been charged witli 
the suspended solids by manipulations of the bladder Avith the oiled 
hand introduced through tlie rectum. 

Calculi, or gravel, in the prepuce, or sheath. — This is usually a collec- 
tion of gravel, or a soft, puttj^-like material which causes a distinct 
swelling of the sheath and gives it a soft, doughy feeling when handled. 
It may be removed in part by the oiled fingers introduced into the 
cavity, assisted by manipulation from without, or a tube maj^ be 
inserted .until the end extends behind the collection and water 
pumped in until the whole mass has been evacuated. Should even 
this fail of success the sheath may be slit open from its orifice back 
in the median line below until the offending matter can be reached 
and removed. In all such cases the interior of the sheath should be 
finally lubricated with sweet oil or vaseline. It is unnecessary to 
stitch up the wound made in the sheath, (See "Inflammation of the 
slieath," p. 1-49.) 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

Plate IX: 

Fig. 1. Kidney of the ox. Taken from Handhiich des Vergleichenden Anat- 
omie des Hans Siincjcthiere, vol. 7, 1890: A, renal artery can-ying blood 
into the kidney; V, renal vein carrjnng blood from the kidney back to the 
heart; H, nreter, the tube carrying the nrine from kidney to bladder. It 
is formed by the union of a number of branches which begin as cups 
(calices), each inclosing the tip of a conical mass of tissue from which 
the urine exudes. 1, Showing such papilla through the ciip, or calyx, 
surrounding it; 2, papillae with the cups inclosing them cut in half to 
show their relation to each other. 

Fig. 2. The male genital organs of the ox. Taken from Leisering, Mueller & 
Ellenberger, Handbucli des Verg. Anat. des Haus Saugethiere: 1, scrotum, 
or the pouch containing the testicles; 2, tunica vaginalis, the serous mem- 
brane enveloping the testicles; 3', right testicle, outer view; 3', left testi- 
cle, inner view; 4, epididymis, or the beginning of the excretorj^ canal of 
the testicle; 4', globus major, or the head of the epididymis; 4", globus 
minor, or the tail of the epididymis; 5, vas deferens, the duct through which 
the seminal fluid reaches the ejaculatory ducts; 5. iielvic dilatation of the 
vas deferens; 6, vesicula seminalis. The vesiculse seminales are two oval 
poiiches, which, in addition to their own secretions, receive the semen 
conveyed by the seminal ducts and hold it in reserve until copulation; 7, 
membranoiis or intrapelvic portion of the iTrethral canal covered by Wil- 
son's muscle; 8, part of the prostate gland covered by Wilson's muscle; 
9, Cowper's gland. This gland, like the prostate gland, secretes a fluid 
which is thrown into the urethral canal in abimdance immediately before 
ejaculation; the expulsion of the semen is by this means facilitated; 10, 
ejaculator seminis,or accelerator urinaB muscle; 11, penis; 11', cut portion 
of same; 12, cut suspensory ligaments of penis; 13, sheath, or prepuce 
laid open; 14, retractor muscles of sheath: 15, cremaster muscle cut at 
superior extremity; 16, duplicature of peritoneum; 17, ureters carrying 
urine from the kidneys to the bladder. 
Plate X: 

Fig. 1 . In this figure the minute apparatiTs for the secretion, collection, and 
discharge of the urine into the pelvis of the kidney (see preceding plate) 
is shown. The course is as follows: The urine is secreted from the blood 
vessels in the little round bodies called glomeruli (12) , and by the minute 
cells in the curved tubes (11, 9, 10, 8) , and passes through the convoluted 
and straight tubes (7, 6) into the larger tube (1), and then out into the 
pelvis, thence through the ureters into the bladder. The fluid and salts 
dissolved in the urine are taken from the blood, and the minute blood 
vessels are therefore very abundant in the kidneys, as is shovTi by the 
branches and network on the left of the figure. The blood passes into the 
kidney in the artery (13) , then divides into branches which pass into the 
142 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate IX . 




Kidney and Generative Organs. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XI 




A- 213 





m 




Haine-s del. after Hurirel Dy\rboval 



Calculi of Kidney and Bladder. 



DISEASES OF THE URINAKY ORGANS. 148 

Pi atp: X — Contimted. 

glomeruli (12) and also form networks around the seci-eting tubules (11,9). 
The urine and salts pass from these vessels through the cells lining the 
tubules into the latter, and are discharged as described above. The blood 
is again collected in veins drawn black in the figure. 

Fig. 2. Illustrates the manner in which the blood is distributed in the glom- 
erulus/, and also to the secreting tubules (e). 

Fig. 3. Shows the relation between the blood vessel in the glomerulus (e) and 
the tubule which conducts the urine therein secreted from the blood ves- 
sel; (c) represents a glomerulus from which the urinary tubule has been 
removed. 
Plate XI: 

Fig. 1. Calculus, or stone, from the kidney. These are located in the i^elvis or 
portion of the ureter receiving the urine. The prolongations are casts of 
the branches of the pelvis. See the plates of the kidney for further 
description. 

Fig. 2. Calculus made up of oxalate of lime magnified 215 times. 

Fig. 3. Phosphatic calculus containing a niicleus of uric acid, sawn through 
to show concentric layers. 

Fig. 4. Straight forceps used in removing stones 'from the bladder. 

Fig. 5. Casts of the miniTte tubules of the kidney found in the urine in various 
kinds of kidney disease. Highly magnified. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S., 

Professor of Veterinary Science, etc., in Cornell Uniir'rsity. 

Diseases of the generative organs are practically confined to animals 
which are kept for reproduction and the dairy. The castration of 
the bull condemns these organs to inactivity and protects them from 
the many causes of injury attendant on the engorged blood vessels 
in the frequent periods of sexual excitement, on the exposure to 
mechanical violence, and on the exposure to infective inoculation. 
In three respects the castrated male is esi^ecially subject to disease: 
(1) To inflammation and tumefaction of the cut end of the cord that 
supported the testicle aftd of the loose connective tissue of the scro- 
tum; (2) to inflammation of the sheath and penis from the accumu- 
lation of gravel in the former, from which the penis is not usually 
protruded in passing water; and (3) to bruising, abrasion, and inflam- 
mation of the sheath and penis during suspension in the stocks for 
the purpose of shoeing. Apart from these, the ox is practically almost 
exempt from the inflammations and injuries of the genital organs. 
The same applies to the castrated heifer. Inflammation may occur in 
the broad ligament of the womb whence the ovarj^ has been removed, 
or infective inflammation in the abdominal cavity (peritonitis) in case 
the operation has been performed through the flank, as it usually is 
in the young heifer. Apart from these, the castrated heifer is prac- 
tically immune from any trouble of the generative apparatus. Even 
the virgin heifer is little subject to such troubles, though she is not 
exempt from inflammations, and aliove all, morbid growths in the 
ovaries whicli are well developed and functionally ver}^ active after 
the first year, or in precocious animals after the first few months of 
life. The breeding cow, on the other hand, is subjected to all the 
disturbances attendant on the gradual enlargement of the womb, the 
diversion of a large mass of blood to its walls, the constant drain of 
nutrient materials of all kinds for the nourishment of the fetus, the 
risks attendant and consequent on abortion and parturition, the dan- 
gers of infection from the bull, the risks of sj^mpathetic disturbance 
in case of serious diseases of other organs, but preeminently of the 
urinary organs and the udder, and finally the sudden extreme 
derangements of the circulation and of the nervous functions wiiich 
attend on the sudden revulsion of a great mass of blood from the 
walls of the contracting womb into the body at large immediately 
after calving. 
144 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 145 

In reviewing this class of diseases, thei'efore, we have to note, first, 
that they are almost exclusively restricted to breeding animals; and, 
second, that in keeping with the absolute difference of the organs in 
the male and female we find two essentially^ distinct lists of diseases 
affecting the two sexes. 

EXCESS OP VENEREAL DESIRE (SATYRIASIS IN MALE, OR NYMPHO- 
MANIA IN female). 

This may occur in the male from too frequent sexual intercourse, or 
from injury and congestion of the base of the brain (vaso-dilator cen- 
ter in the medulla), or of the posterior end of the spinal cord, or it 
may be kept up by congestion or inflammation of the testicles or of 
the mucous membrane covering the penis. It may be manifested by 
a constant or frequent erection, by attempts at sexual connection, 
and sometimes by the discharge of semen without connection. In bad 
cases the feverishness and restlessness lead to loss of flesh, emacia- 
tion, and physical weakness. 

It is, however, in the female especially that this morbid desire is 
most noticeable and injurious. It may be excited by the stimulating 
quality of the blood in cows fed to excess on highly nitrogenous food, 
as the seeds of the bean, pea, vetch, and tare, and as wheat bran, 
middlings, cotton seed, gluten meal, etc., especially in the case of such 
as have no free exercise in the fields, and are subject to constant asso- 
ciation with a vigorous young bull. A more frequent cause is the 
excitation or congestion of some part of the genital organs. Disease 
of the ovaries is preeminent!}^ the cause, and this may be by the forma- 
tion of cysts (sacs containing liquid) or of solid tumors or degenera- 
tions, or, more commonly than all, the deposition of tubercle. Indeed, 
in case of tuberculosis attacking the abdominal organs of cows, the 
ovaries or the serous membranes that support and cover them (the 
broad ligaments of the womb) are peculiarly subject to attack and 
the animal has constant sexual excitement, incessantl}^ riding or 
being ridden by other cattle, having no leisure to eat or chew the cud, 
but moving restlessly, wearing the flesh off its bones, and gradually 
wasting. In some localities these cows are known as "bullers," 
because they are nearly always disposed to take the bull, but they do 
not conceive, or, if they do, they are subject to early abortions. They 
are, therefore, useless alike for the dairy and for the feeder, unless 
the removal of the ovaries subdues the sexual excitement, when, in 
the absence of tuberculous disease elsewhere, they may be fattened 
for the butcher. 

Among the other sources of irritation charged with causing nympho- 
mania are tumors and cancers of the womb, rigid closure of the neck of 
the womb so that conception can not occur and the frequent services 
by the male stimulate the unsatisfied appetite, and inflammation, and 
a purulent discharge from the womb or vagina. 
8267—04 10 



146 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Treatment. — The treatment iu each case will vary with the cause 
and is most satisfactoiy when that cause is a removable one. Over- 
feeding on richly^itrogenous food can be stopped, exercise in the open 
field secured, diseased ovaries may be removed (see "Castration," p. 
300), catarrhs of the womb and passages overcome bj'' antiseptic 
astringent injections (see "Leucorrhea"), and tumors of the womb may 
often be detached and extracted, the mouth of that organ having been 
first dilated by sponge tents or otherwise. The rubber dilator (impreg- 
nator) though sometimes helpful in the mare is rarely available for 
the cow, owing to the different condition of the mouth of the womb. 

DIMINUTION OR LOSS OF VENEREAL DESIRE (aNAPHRODISIA). 

This will occur in either sex from low condition and ill health. 
Long standing chronic diseases of important internal organs, leading 
to emaciation and weakness, or a prolonged semistarvation in winter 
may be sufficient cause. It is, however, much more common as the 
result of degeneration or extensive and destructive disease of the 
secreting organs (testicles, ovaries) which elaborate the male and 
female sexual products, respectively. Such diseases are, therefore, a 
common cause of sterility in both sexes. The old bull, fat and lazy, 
becomes sluggish and unreliable in serving, and finall}^ gets to be use- 
less for breeding purposes. This is not due to his weight and clum- 
siness alone, but largely to the fattj^ degeneration of his testicles and 
their excretory ducts, which prevents the due formation and matura- 
tion of the semen. 

If he has been kept in extra high condition for exhibition in the 
show ring, this disqualification comes upon him sooner and becomes 
more irremediable. 

Similarl}' the overfed, inactive cow, and above all the show cow, 
fails to come in heat at the usual intervals, shows little disi:)Osition to 
take the bull, and fails to conceive when served. Her trouble is the 
same in kind, namely, fatty degeneration of the ovaries and of their 
excretory ducts (Fallopian tubes), which prevents the formation or 
maturation of the ovum or, when it has formed, hinders its descent 
into the womb. Another common defect iu such old fat cows is a rigid 
closure of the mouth of the womb, which prevents conception, even 
if the ovum reaches the interior of that organ and even if the semen 
is discharged into the vagina. 

Preventive. — The true preventive of such conditions is to be found 
in a sound hygiene. The breeding animal should be of adult age, 
neither overfed nor underfed, but well fed and moderately exercised; 
in other words, the most vigorous health should be sought, not only 
that a strong race niRy be propagated, but that the whole herd, or 
nearly so, may breed with certainty. Fleming gives 79 per cent as 
the general average of cows that are found to breed in one j'ear. 
Here more than a fifth of the xn-ogeny is sacrificed and a fifth of the 



DISEASES OF THE GENEEATIVE ORGANS. 147 

product of the dairy. With careful management the proportion of 
breeders should approach 100 per cent. The various local and gen- 
eral obstacles to conception should be carefully investigated and 
removed. The vigorous health which comes from a sufficiently lib- 
eral diet and abundant exercise should be solicited, and that compara- 
tive bloodlessness and weakness which advances with undue fattening 
should be sedulously avoided. In bull or cow which is becoming 
unduly fat and showing indications of sexual indifference, the treat- 
ment must be active. Turning out on a short jjasture where it must 
work hard for a living will often suffice. The bull which can not be 
turned out to pasture may sometimes be utilized in the yoke or tread 
power, or he may be kept a part of his time in a field or paddock 
chained by the ring in his nose to a strong wire extending from one 
side of the lot to the other, and attached securely to two trees or posts. 
The wire should be higher than the back of the bull, which will move 
from end to end at frequent intervals. If he is indisposed to take 
sufficient exercise in this way he may be safely driven. An instance 
of the value of exercise in these incipient cases of fatty degeneration 
is often quoted. The cow Dodona, condemned as barren at Earl 
Spencer's, was sold cheap to Jonas Webb, who had her driven by road 
a distance of 120 miles to his farm at Wilbraham, soon after which 
she became pregnant. In advanced cases, however, in which the fatty 
degeneration is complete, recover}^ is impossible. 

In case of rigid closure of the mouth of the womb the only resort is 
dilatation. This is far more difficult and uncertain in the cow than in 
the mare. The neck of the womb is longer, is often tortuous in its 
course, and its walls so apjjroximated to each other and so rigid that 
it may be all but impossible to follow it, and there is always danger 
of perforating its walls and opening into the cavity of the abdomen, 
or short of that of causing inflammation and a new rigid fibrous for- 
mation which, on healing, leaves matters worse than before. The 
opening must be carefully made with the finger, and when that has 
entered the womb further dilatation may be secured hy inserting a 
sponge tent or by careful stretching with a mechanical dilator. (PI. 
XX, fig. G.) 

STERILITY FROM OTHER CAUSES. 

The questions as to whether a bull is a sure stock getter and whether 
a cow is a breeder are so imiDortant that it would be wrong to pass 
over other prominent causes of sterility. Breeding at too early an age 
is a common source of increasing weakness of constitution which has 
obtained in certain breeds. Jerseys have especially been made the 
victims of this mistake, the object being to establish the highest milk- 
ing powers in the smallest obtainable body which will demand the 
least material and outlay for its constant repair of waste. With suc- 
cess in this line there has been the counterbalancing disadvantage of 



148 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

impaired vigor, with too often lessened fertility as well as increased 
predisj)osition to disease. When the heifers of the race have for gen- 
eration after generation been bred under a year old, the demand for 
the nourishment of the fetus is too great a drain on the immature 
animal, which accordingly remains small and stunted. As it fails to 
develop in size, so every organ fails to be nourished to perfection. 
Similarly with the immature bull put to too many cows; he fails to 
develop his full size, vigor, or stamina, and transfers his acquired 
weakness to his progeny. An increasing number of barren females 
and an increasing proclivity to abortions are the necessary results of 
both courses. When this early breeding has occurred accidentally it 
is well to dry up the dam just after calving, and to avoid having her 
served again until full grown. 

Some highly fed and plethoric females seem to escape conception by 
the very intensity of the generative ardor. The frequent passage of 
urine, accompanied by contractions of the womb and vagina and a 
profuse secretion from their surfaces, leads to the expulsion of the 
semen after it has been lodged in the genital passages. This may be 
remedied somewhat by bleeding the cow shortly before putting to the 
bull, so as to diminish the richness and stimulating quality of the 
blood ; or better by giving 1| pounds of Epsom salts a day or two 
before she comes in heat, and subjecting her at the. same time to a 
spare diet. Should the excessive ardor of the cow not be controlla- 
ble in this way, she may be shut up for a day or two, until the heat is 
passing off, when under the lessened excitement the semen is more 
likely to be retained. 

The various diseases of the ovaries, their tubes, the womb, the tes- 
ticles and their excretory ducts, as referred to under "Excess of gen- 
erative ardor," are causes of barrenness. In this connection it may 
be named that the discharges consequent on calving are fatal to the 
vitality of semen introduced before these have ceased to flow; hence 
service too soon after calving, or that of a cow which has had the 
womb or genital passages injured so as to keep up a muco-purulent 
flow until the animal comes in heat, is liable to fail of conception. 
Any such discharge should be first arrested hy repeated injections as 
for leucorrhea, after which the male may be admitted. 

Feeding on a A^erj^ saccharine diet, which greatly favors the deposi- 
tion of fat, seems to have an even more direct effect in preventing 
conception during such regimen. Among other causes of barrenness 
are all those that favor abortion, ergoted grasses, smutty wheat or 
corn, laxative or diuretic drinking water, and any improper or musty 
feed that causes indigestions, colics, and diseases of the urinary 
organs, notably gravel; also savin, rue, cantharides, and all other 
irritants of the bowels or kidnej^s. 

Ilermaiihrodites are barren, of course, as their sexual organs are 
not distinctively either male or female. The heifer born as a twin 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKATIVE OEGANS. 149 

with a bull is iisiTally hermaphrodite and barren. But the animals 
of eitlier sex in whicli development of the organs is arrested before 
thej^ are fully matured remain as in the male or female prior to 
puberty, and are barren. Bulls with both testicles retained within 
the abdomeji may i^o through the form of serving a cow, but the serv- 
ice is unfruitful; the spermatozoa are not fully elaborated. So I have 
examined a heifer with a properly formed but very small womb and 
an extremely narrow vagina and vulva, the walls of which were very 
muscular, that could never be made to conceive. A postmortem 
examination would probably have disclosed an imperfectly formed 
ovary incapable of bringing ova to maturity. 

A bull and cow that have been too closelj" inbred in the same line for 
generations may prove sexually incompatible and unable to generate 
together, though both are abundantly prolific when coupled with ani- 
mals of other strains of blood. 

Finallj^ a bull may prove unable to get stock, not from any lack of 
sexual development, but from disease of other organs (back, loins, hind 
limbs), which renders him unable to mount with the energy requisite 
to the perfect service. 

CONGESTION AND INFLAMMATION OF THE TESTICLES (ORCHITIS). 

This usually results from blows or other direct injuries, but may be 
the result of excessive service or of the formation of some new growth 
(tumor) in the gland tissue. The bull moves stiffly, with straddling 
gait, and the right or left half of the scrotum in which the affected 
testicle lies is swollen, red, and tender, and the gland is drawn up 
within the sac and dropped down again at frequent intervals. It may 
be treated by rest ; by 1^ pounds Epsom salts given in 4 quarts of water; 
by a restricted diet of some succulent food ; by continued fomentations 
with warm water by means of sponges or rags sustained by a sling 
passed around the loins and back between the hind legs. The pain 
may be allayed by smearing with a solution of opium or of extract of 
belladonna. Should a soft point appear, indicating the formation of 
matter, it may be opened with a sharp lancet and the wound treated 
daily with a solution of a teaspoonfulof carbolic acid in a half pint of 
water. Usually, however, when the inflammation has proceeded to 
this extent the gland will be ruined for puri^oses of procreation and 
must be cut out. (See "Castration," p. 300). 

INFLAMMATION OF THE SHEATH. 

While this may occur in bulls from infection during copulation and 
from bruises, blows, and other mechanical injuries, the condition is 
more common in the ox in connection with the comparative inactivity of 
the parts. The sheath has a vers^ small external opening, the mucous 
membrane of which is studded with sebaceous glands secreting a thick, 
unctuous matter of a strong, heavy odor. Behind this orifice is a dis- 



150 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tiuct pouch, in which this unctuous matter is liable to accumnlate when 
the penis is habitually drawn back. Moreover, the sheath has two mus- 
cles (protractors) which lengthen it passing into it from the region of 
the navel, and two (retractors) that shorten it passing into it from the 
lower surface of the pelvic bones above. (PI. IX, fig. 2.) The pro- 
tractors keep the sheath stretched so that it habitually covers the 
penis, while the retractors shorten it up in the act of service, so tliat 
tlie penis can project to its full extent. In stud bulls the frequent 
protrusion of the erect and enlarged i)enis and the retraction and 
dilatation of the opening of the sheath serve to empty the pouch and 
prevent any accumulation of sebaceous matter or urine. In the ox, 
on the other hand, the undeveloped and inactive penis is usually 
drawn back so as to leave the anterior j)rei)utial pouch empty, so that 
the sebaceous matter has space to accumulate and is never expelled by 
the active retraction of the sheath and protrusion of the erect penis 
in service. Again, the ox rarely protrudes the tip of the penis in 
urination, the urine is discharged into the preputial pouch and lodges 
and decomposes there, so that there is a great liability to the precipi- 
tation of its earth}' salts in the form of gravel. The decomposing 
ammoniacal urine, the gritty crj-stals precipitated from it, and the 
fetid, rancid, sebaceous matter set up inflammation in the delicate 
mucous membrane lining the passage. The membrane is thickened, 
reddened, rendered friable, and ultimately ulcerated, and the now 
narrowed sheath is blocked by the increasing mass of sebaceous and 
urinous material and the decomposing mucus and pus. The penis 
can no longer be protruded, the urine escapes in a small stream 
through the narrowing sheath, and finally the outlet is completely 
blocked and the urine distends the back part of the sheath. This 
will fluctuate on being handled, and soon the unhealthy inflammation 
extends on each side of it, causing a thick, doughy, tender swelling 
under the belly and between the thighs. The next step in the morbid 
course is overdistention of the bladder, with the occurrence of col- 
icky j)ains, looking at the flanks, uneasj' movements of the hind 
limbs, raising or twisting of the tail, pulsatory contractions of the 
urethra under the anus, and finally a false ajipearance of relief, which 
is caused hy rupture of the bladder. Before this rupture takes i^laee 
the distended bladder may press on the rectum and obstruct the i:)as- 
sage of the bowel dejections. Two mistakes are therefore probable — 
first, that the bowels alone are to be relieved, and, second, that the 
trouble is obstruction of the urethra by a stone. Hence the need of 
examining the sheath and pushing the finger into its opening to see 
that there is no obstruction there, in all cases of retention of urine, over- 
distended bladder, or blocked rectum in the ox. The disease may be 
acute or chronic — the first bj^ reason of acute adhesive inflammation 
blocking the outlet, the second by gradual thickening and ulceration 
of the sheath and blocking by the sebaceous and calculous accretions. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 151 

Treatment. — The treatment of this affection will depend on the 
stage. If recent and no instant danger of rnpture of the bladder, tlie 
narrow opening of the sheath should be freely cut open in the median 
line below, and the sac emptied out with a finger or spoon, after 
which it should be thoroughly washed with tepid water. To make 
the cleansing more thorough a catheter or a snuxll rubber tube may 
be inserted well back into the sheath, and water may be forced 
through it from a sj^'inge or a funnel inserted into the other end of 
the tube and considerably elevated. A fountain syringe, Avhich 
should be found in every house, answers admirably. The sheath 
may be daily washed out with tepid water, with a suds made with 
Castile soap, or with a weak solution of sulphate of zinc (one-half 
dram to a quart of water). If these attentions are impossible, most 
cases, after cleansing, will do well if merelj^ driven through clean 
water up to the belly once a day. 

In case the disease has progressed to absolute obstruction, with the 
bladder ready to rupture any moment, no time must be lost in open- 
ing into the urethra with a sharp knife over the bony arch under the 
anus, where the pulsations are seen in urinating. This incision is 
best made in the median line from above downward, but in the 
absence of a skillful operator a transverse incision with a sharp knife 
over the bone in the median line until the urine flows with a gush is 
better than to let the patient die. Considerable blood will be lost and 
the wound will heal tardily, but the ox will be preserv^ed. Then the 
slitting and cleansing of the sheath can be done at leisure, as described 
above. If the bladder is ruptured, the case is hopeless. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE SHEATH AND PENIS FROM BRUISING. 

This also is an affection of work oxen, caused by the pressure and 
friction of the sling when the animals are held in the stocks for shoe- 
ing. This crushing of both sheath and penis for half an hour or more 
leads to the development, some hours later, of a hard, hot, and pain- 
ful swelling, extending from the scrotum as far as the opening of the 
sheath. Fever sets in, with dry muzzle, red eyes, hard, full, rapid 
pulse, accelerated breathing, and elevated temperature. The ox 
stands obstinatel}' with his hind legs drawn apart and urine falling 
drop by drop from the sheath. Appetite and rumination are sus- 
pended. In twentj'-four hours there may be indications of advancing 
gangrene (mortification), the swelling becomes cold, soft, and dough 3'; 
it may even crack slightly from the presence of gas ; a reddish brown 
fetid liquid oozes from the swelling, especially around the edges, and 
if the animal survives it is only with a great loss of substance of the 
sheath and penis. 

Prevention. — The prevention of such an injur}' is easy. It is only 
necessary to see that the slings shall not press upon the posterior 
part of the abdomen. They must be keep in front of the sheath. 



152 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Treatment. — Treatment, to be effective, must be jjromi^t and judi- 
cious. Put a strap around the patient with soft pads in contact with 
the affected parts, constantly soaked in cold water for at least twenty- 
four hours. A pound or two of Epsom salts in 4 quarts of hot water 
should also be given. The second day the parts may be washed with 
1 quart of witch-hazel (extract), 2 drams sugar of lead, and 1 ounce 
laudanum, or the cold water irrigations may be continued if the active 
inflammation persists. In case the swelling continues hard and resist- 
ant, it may be pricked at the most prominent points to the depth of 
one-third of an inch with a lancet first dipped in dilute carbolic acid, 
and the whole surface should be washed frequently with chlorine 
water or other antiseptic. 

When softening occurs in the center of a hard mass and fluctuation 
can be felt between two flngers j)ressed on different parts of such soft- 
ening, it should be freel}^ opened to let out the putrid pus, and the 
cavity should be sj^'ringed often with chlorine water. 

In bad cases extensive sloughs of dead skin, of the whole wall of the 
slieath, and even of the penis, may take place, which will require care- 
ful antiseptic treatment. The soaking of the urine into the inflamed 
and softened tissue and the setting up of putrefactive action not only 
endanger great destruction of the tissues from putrid inflammation, 
but even threaten life itself from a general blood poisoning (septice- 
mia). Every case should have skillful treatment to meet its various 
phases, but in the severe ones this is most urgentlj^ demanded. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE URETHRA (GONORRHEA). 

Like other males, the bull sometimes suffers from inflammation of 
the canal which conveys the urine through the penis, and forms a con- 
sequent whitish muco-purulent discharge. It may have originated in 
gravel, the excitement of too frequent service, infection from a cow 
with leucorrhea, or from extension of inflammation from the sheath. 
Besides the oozing of the whitish liquid from the end of the penis and 
sheath, there is tenderness and pain when handled, and while there is 
no actual arrest of the urine, its flow is subject to frequent voluntary 
checks, as the scalding liquid irritates the tender surface. 

Treatment. — If recognized before the discharge sets in, a dose of 1^ 
pounds of Epsom salts and local warm fomentations would be appro- 
priate. After the onset of the whitish discharge a daily injection 
into the penis of a solution of 20 grains of permanganate of potash in 
a pint of water will be beneficial. 

WARTS AND PAPILLARY GROWTHS ON THE PENIS. 

These are not frequent in bull or ox. They may interfere Avith the 
protrusion of the organ from its sheath or with service, and always 
give rise to a bad smelling discharge. 



DISEASES OF THE GENEEATIVE OKGANS. 153 

Treatuient.— They may be twisted off with the thumb and fore- 
finger or cut off with a pair of scissors, and the seat burned with a 
pencil of lunar caustic. To get hold of the penis in the bull, bring him 
up to a cow. In the ox it will be necessary to push it out by manip- 
ulation through the sheath. In difficult cases the narrow opening of 
the sheath may be slit oi^eu. 

WOUNDS OF THE PENIS. 

The most common wounds are those sustained by blows of horns, 
sticks, etc. The blood vessels and sacs are ruptured to a greater or 
less extent and considerable swellings filled with coagulated blood 
and inflammatory products occur, leading to distortion of the organ, 
and it may be to the impossibility of protruding it. 

Treatment. — A lotion of a dram of alum in a quart of water may be 
applied (injected into the sheath, if necessary), and a large sponge 
constantly irrigated by a stream of cold water may be kept applied by 
means of a surcingle to the outer side of the sheath. Incisions are 
rarely applicable to an organ of this kind, but in case of the existence 
of an extensive clot which is unlikely to be absorbed the lancet may 
be resorted to. If the injury leads to paralysis of the penis and hang- 
ing out of its sheath, it should be supported in a sling and astringents 
used freely until inflammation subsides. Then the restoration of 
power may be sought by a blister between the thighs, by the use of 
electricity, or by the careful use of nerve stimulants, such as strychnia 
{2 grains daily). 

ULCERS ON THE PENIS. 

Sores on the penis of the bull may result from gravel or sebaceous 
masses in the sheath or from having served a cow having leucorrhea. 

Treatment. — These may be treated by frequent injections into the 
sheath of a lotion made with 1 dram sugar of lead, 60 drops carbolic 
acid, and 1 quart water. 

POLYPUS OF THE VAGINA OR UTERUS. 

A polypus is a tumor growing from the mucous membrane, and 
often connected to it by a narrow neck. A definite cause can not 
always be assigned. If growing in the vagina, a polypus may project 
as a reddish, rounded tumor from the vulva, especially during the 
act of passing w\ater. It can be distinguished from descent of the 
womb by the absence of the orifice of that cavity, which can be felt 
by the oiled hand beyond the tumor in the depth of the vagina. From 
a vaginal hernia caused by the protrusion of some abdominal organ 
enveloped by the relaxed wall of the vagina it may be distinguished 
by its persistence, its firm substance, and the impossibility of return- 
ing it into the abdomen by pressure. A hernia containing a portion 



15-i DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of bowel gurgles when handled and can he completelj^ effaced bj'- 
pressure, the gut passing back into tlie abdomen. 

A polypus in the womb is less easily recognized. At the time of 
calving it may be felt through the open mouth of the womb and 
recognized by the educated touch (it must be carefullj' distinguished 
from the mushroom-formed cotyledons (PI. XIII, fig. 2), to which in 
ruminants the fetal membranes are attached). At other times, unless 
the womb is opened in the effort to expel it, the jDolypus can only be 
detected b}^ examining the womb with the oiled hand introduced 
through the rectum. 

Polypi may cause a muco-purulent discharge or they ms,y only be 
suspected when they xjrove an obstacle to parturition. The best Avay 
to remove them is to put the chain of an ecraseur around the neck, or 
pedicle, of the tumor and tear it through; or the narrow neck may be 
torn through by the emasculator, or in an emergency it may be twisted 
through by rotating the tumor on its own axis. The removal of the 
tumor will allow calving to proceed ; after which the sore maybe treated 
by a daily injection of one-half dram sulphate of zinc, 1 dram car- 
bolic acid, and 1 quart milk-warm water. 

SIGNS OF PREGNANCY. 

If a coAV remains for three or four weeks after service without show- 
ing signs of heat (bulling), she is probably pregnant. There are very 
exceptional cases in which the well-fed cow will accept the bull weeks 
or months after actual conception, and others equally exceptional in 
which the well-thriven but unimpregnated female will refuse the male 
persistently, but these in no way invalidate the general rule. 

The bull, no matter how vigorous or how ardent his sexual instinct, 
can not be made to pay any attention to a cow which is not in heat; 
hence indications of pregnancy can be had from both the male and 
female side. When she has conceived, the cow usually becomes more 
quiet and docile, and lays on flesh and fat more rapidly, especially 
during the first four months of gestation. The stimulus to digestion 
and nutrition created by the demands of the growing fetus, added to 
the quieter and more uneventful life, contributes to this result. Some 
feeders avail of this disposition to prejoare heifers and cows speedily 
for the butcher. 

The enlargement of the abdomen, and its dropping so that it bulges 
below and to each side, while it falls in at the flank, between the outer 
angle of the hip bone and the last rib, are significant features which, 
though they may be caused by abdominal tumor or dropsy, are 
nsuallj^ marks of pregnancy. From the same increasing weight of 
the abdomen the spine in the region of the loins sinks so that the 
bones of the croup seem to rise, especially back toward the root of the 
tail. In the early stages of pregnane}^ the ndder develops slowlj-, and 
toward its completion quite rapidl3\ For a long time there is merely 



DISEASES OF THE GENEEATIVE ORGANS. 155 

a sense of greater fullness when handled ; the wrinkles in the skin 
become shallower and are effaced, and the teats are materially enlarged. 
Beginning a few weeks after conception, this tends to a steady develop- 
ment, though slight alternations in the sense of successive growth and 
shrinkage are not uncommon. In milking cows this does not hold, as 
the milk usually tends to a steady diminution and the udder shrinks 
slowly until near the completion of the period, when it undergoes its 
sudden remarkable development, and yields at first a serous liquid 
and then the yellow colostrum, which coagulates Avhen heated. As 
pregnancy advances the mucous membrane lining the vulva becomes 
swollen and of a darker bluish red hue, and the mucous secretion 
increases, becoming very abundant just before calving. When the 
feeding has not been altered or restricted, a steady diminution of the 
salts of lime excreted in the urine is an attendant on i^regnancy, the 
lime being demanded for the growing body of the fetus. 

After the fifth month the movements of the calf may often be 
observed in the right flank, nearly in front of the stifle, when the cow 
is drinking cold water. The sensation of cold on the side of the first 
stomach, which lies to the left and directly below the womb (PI. I), 
stimulates the calf to active movements, which are detected on the 
sudden jerking outward of the abdominal w^all as if from blows deliv- 
ered from within. In a loose pendent abdomen in the latter months 
of gestation the skin may often be seen pushed out at a sharp angle, 
irrespective of the period of drinking. 

Another mode of examination through the flank is by touch. The 
palm of the hand is pressed strongly inward, about 8 inches in front of 
the stifle and a little below, several times in succession, and is then 
brought to rest with the pressure maintained. Presently there are felt 
distinct and characteristic movements of the fetus, which has been 
disturbed and roused to action. Another mode is to press the closed 
fist strongly inward in the same situation and hold it so, forming a 
deep indentation in the abdominal wall. Preseutlj^ the knuckles are 
felt to be struck by a solid body, which is no other than the fetus that 
had been displaced to the left by the push of the hand, and now floats 
back in its liquid covering (amniotic fluid; see PI. XII) downward 
and to the right. 

Of all the modes of examination by touch, that done through the 
rectum gives the earliest satisfactory indications. The hand and arm 
well oiled are introduced, and the excrement having been removed if 
necessary, the palm of the hand is turned downward and the floor of 
the pelvis carefully examined. There wall be felt in the median line 
the pear-shaped outline of the bladder, more or less full, rounded or 
tense, according to the quantity of urine it contains. Between this 
and the hand will be felt a soft, somewhat rounded tubular bod}", 
which divides in front into two smaller tubes or branches, extending to 
the right and left into the abdomen. This is the womb, which in its 



156 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

virgin, or unimpregnated, condition is of nearly uniform size from 
before backward, the main part or body being from 1| to 2 inches 
across, and the two anterior branches or horns being individually little 
over an inch wide. Immediatel}^ after conception the body and one 
of the horns begin to enlarge, the vacant horn remaining disi)ropor- 
tionately small, and the enlargement will be most marked at one point, 
where a solid rounded mass indicates the presence of the growing 
embrj^o. In case of twins, both horns are enlarged. At a more 
advanced stage, when the embryo begins to assume the form of the 
future animal, the rounded form gives place to a more or less irregu- 
lar nodular mass, while later still the head, limbs, and bodj^ of the 
fetus may be distinctly made out. The chief source of fallacy is found 
in the very pendent abdomen of certain cows, into which in advanced 
gestation the fetus has dropped so low that it can not be felt by 
the hand in the rectum. The absence of the distinct outline of the 
vacant w^omb, however, and the clear indications obtained on external 
examination through the right flank Avill serve to prevent any mis- 
take. The fetus may still be felt through the rectum if the abdomen 
is raised by a sheet passed from side to side beneath it. 

Still another sign is the beating of the fetal heart, which may be 
heard in the latter half of pregnancy when the ear is pressed on the 
flank in front of the right stifle, or from that downward to the udder. 
The beats, which are best heard in the absence of rumbling, are about 
120 per minute, and easily distinguished from any bowel sounds by 
their perfect regularity. 

DURATION OF PREGNANCY. 

From extended statistics it is found that the average duration of 
pregnancy in the cow is two hundred and eighty-flve days. A calf 
born at the two hundred and fortieth day may live, and a case is 
reported by Dietrichs of a calf born on the three hundred and thirty- 
fifth daj'^, and another by the American Journal of Medical Science 
as born on the three hundred and thirty-sixth day. It is the general 
observation that in the majority of prolonged pregnancies the offsi^ring 
is male. Lord Spencer found a prei)onderance of males between the 
two hundred and ninetieth and the three hundredth days, but strangely 
enough all born after the three hundredth day under his observation 
were females. It might be reasonabl}^ inferred that while the pre- 
vailing tendency is to carry the males overtime, j^et that the smaller 
and comparatively much less developed female sometimes fails to 
stimulate the womb to contraction until very far beyond the regular 
date. 

HYGIENE OF THE PREGNANT COW. 

Among domestic animals considerations of hygiene must be made 
subservient to profit, and therefore the first consideration is not to 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAIIVE ORGANS. 157 

secure the most robust liealth, but such a measure of vigor and stamina 
as is compatible with the most profitable utilization of the animal. 
The breeding cow must cai'ry a calf every year, and this notwith- 
standing that she is at the same time suckling another large growing 
calf. The dairy cow must breed every year, and at the same time 
must furnish a generous flow of milk from nine to eleven months 
yearly. If her health is lowered therebj^ or her life shortened, the 
question of iDrofit must still hold sway, and she must yield her place 
to another when disqualified. There are exceptions, of course, but 
this rule generallj^ holds. 

There are certain points, however, in which the interests of hygiene 
may be considered. The pregnant cow should have exercise, and as 
regards both exercise and food, nothing is better than a run on a 
smooth pasture. She should be withheld from all violent excitement, 
hunting with dogs, riding or being ridden by cows in heat, driving in 
herd rai)idly through narrow gateways, causing to jump ditches or 
fences, subjecting to blows with the horns of pugnacious cattle, driv- 
ing on ic}^ or otherwise slippery ground, carrying in railroad cars, 
kicking by vicious attendants, and fastening or throwing down for 
operations. The diet should be good, not of a kind to fatten, but 
with a generous amount of nitrogenous constituents which will favor 
at once the yield of milk and the nourishment of the fetus. Aliments 
rich in lime and phosphates, like wheat bran, middlings, etc., can be 
used to advantage, as there is a constant drain of earthy salts for the 
building of the body of the calf, and thereby the danger of undue 
concentration of the urine is lessened. 

Hard, innutritions, and indigestible aliments, musty grain or hay, 
partially ripened rye grass, millet, Hungarian grass, vetches, peas, or 
maize are objectionable, as they are liable to cause indigestion or 
even paralysis; and corn or haj' affected by smut or ergot, or that has 
been spoiled by wet, overripened, and rendered fibrous and innutri- 
tions, are equally objectionable. The food should be in the main 
laxative, as costiveness and straining are liable to cause abortion. 
Roots and green food that have been frosted are objectionable, as 
being liable to cause indigestion, though in their fresh condition most 
wholesome and desirable. Ice-cold water should be avoided, as cal- 
culated to check the flow of milk, to derange digestion, and to cause 
abortion. A good temperature for the drink of the dairj" cow is 55° F. 

In the case of plethoric and heavy milking cows of mature age and 
in the prime of life, the hitherto liberal diet must be changed at the 
last week for the scantiest possible fare, and the bowels must be kept 
open by laxatives, if need be, if the owner would avoid milk fever. 
The pregnant cow should be kept away from the sight and odor of 
dead cai'casses, from the smell of decomposing animal matter, and 
from stagnant and corrupting water. Her stall should not incline 
downward from shoulder to croup, lest the pressure of the abdominal 



158 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

organs should produce protrusion or abortion. She should be kept 
aloof from all causes of acute diseases, and all existing diseases should 
be remedied speedily and with as little excitement of the abdominal 
organs as possible. Strong purgatives and diuretics are to be espe- 
cially avoided, unless it be in the very last days of gestation in very 
plethoric cows. 

Finall}^ in the case of pure breeds, close association with animals 
of other breeds or crosses, or with animals of other colors, forms, or 
with defects, is to be carefully guarded against. The effects shown 
in the progeny may be exceptional, yet they are none the less sources 
of preventable loss. 

PROTRUSION OF THE VAGINA (PROLAPSUS VAGIN^). 

This is common during pregnancy from chronic relaxation of the 
vaginal walls and from lying in stalls that are lower behind than in 
front. The protrusion is of a rounded form and smooth, and if it 
embraces both sides of the canal it is double, with a passage between. 
It may sometimes be remedied by raising the hind part of the stall 
higher than the front part. This failing, a truss maj^ be applied as for 
eversion of the womb, and worn until the period of calving approaches. 
(Pis. XXII, XXIII.) 

HERNIA (breach) OF THE UTERUS. 

This occurs usually in advanced pregnancy from a gradual relaxa- 
tion and distention of the lower wall of the abdomen in the region of 
the udder, so that the latter is displaced downward, and in the sac 
above and in front of it may be felt the form and movements of the 
fetus. In other cases the womb escapes through a great laceration of 
the abdominal muscles to one side of the udder, and the hernial mass 
extends down to one side of that organ. However unsightly, this 
often allows the animal to complete its pregnancy naturally, and a 
broad supporting bandage placed around the abdomen is about all 
that can be recommended. After calving it is best to fatten the cow. 

cramps of the HIND LIMBS. 

The compression by the womb and fetus of the nerves passing 
through the pelvis sometimes causes cramp and inabilitj^ to move the 
limb, but it disappears under friction and motion and is never seen 
after calving. 

dropsy of the hind LIMBS AND BETWEEN THE THIGHS. 

In the latter months of pregnancy the hind legs may swell beneath 
the hocks, or a soft swelling which pits on i^ressure with the finger 
appears from the vulva down between the thighs to the udder and in 
front. It is mainly due to the pressure of the enlarged womb on the 
blood vessels, is not dangerous, and disappears after calving. 



diseases of the genekative organs. 159 

dropsy of the membranes of the fetus (dropsy of the 

womb). 

The unimiDregnated womb may be filled with a dropsical fluid, but 
the pregnant womb is more liable to become overdistended by an excess 
of fluid in the inner water bag in which the fetus floats. (PL XII.) 
From an unhealthy state of this membrane or of the blood of the fetus 
(watery blood) this liquid may go on accumulating until the cow seems 
almost as broad as she is long. If the trouble has not originated in the 
ill health of the cow, the result is still todra^von her sj'stem, overtax her 
strength, and derange her digestion, so that the result may prove fatal 
to both mother and offspring. On the other hand, I have known 
extreme cases come to the natural term without help and produce a 
living calf, after which the dam did well. The natural resort is to 
draw off a portion of the fluid through a hollow needle passed through 
the neck of the womb or through its tense wall adjacent. This may 
be repeated several times, as demanded, to relieve the cow from the 
injurious distention. 

PARALYSIS OF THE HIND PARTS. 

In ill-fed, weak, unthriftj^ cows palsy of the hind limbs and tail may 
appear in the last weeks of j^regnancy. The anus and rectum may 
j)articipate in the palsy so far as to prevent defecation, and the rectum 
is more or less completely impacted. Exposure to wet and cold are 
often accessory causes, though the low condition, general weakness, 
and the pressure on the nerves going to the hind limbs are not to be 
forgotten. Something maj^ be done for these cases by a warm, dry bed, 
an abundant diet fed warm, frictions with straw wisps or with a liniment 
of equal parts of oil of turpentine and sweet oil on the loins, croup, and 
limbs, b}" the daily use of ginger and gentian, by the cautious adminis- 
tration of strychnia (2 grains twice daily), and by sending a current of 
electricity daily from the loins through the various groups of muscles 
in the hind limbs. The case becomes increasingly hopeful after calv- 
ing, though some daj'S may still elapse before the animal can support 
herself upon her limbs. 

EXTRA-UTERINE GESTATION (fETUS DEVELOPING OUTSIDE THE WOMB). 

These curious cases are rare and are usuallj^ divided into three types : 
(1) That in which the fetus is formed in or on the ovarj' (ovarian gesta- 
tion); (2) that in which it is lodged in the Fallopian tube, or canal 
between the ovary and womb (tubal gestation) ; and (3) that in which 
it is lodged in the abdominal cavity and attached to one or more of its 
contents from which it draws its nourishment (abdominal gestation). 
Undoubted cases of the first and last varieties are recorded as occurring 
in the cow. The explanation of such cases is to be found in the fact 
that the actively moving sperm cells (spermatozoa) thrown into the 



160 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

womb liave made their way tliroiigli the Fallopian tubes to the ovary. 
If they met and impregnated an ovum in the tube, and if the conse- 
quent growth of that ovum prevented its descent and caused its impris- 
onment within the tube, it developed there, getting attached to and 
drawing nourishment from the mucous walls. Such product has its 
development arrested by compression by the undilatable tube, or, burst- 
ing through the walls of the tube, it escapes into the abdomen and 
perishes. If, on the contrary, the spermatozoa onl}^ meet and impreg- 
nate the ovum on or in the ovary, the development may take place in 
the substance of the ovary from which the fetus draws its nourish- 
ment, or the impregnated ovum escaping between the ovary and the 
open end of the tube falls into the abdominal cavity and becomes 
adherent to and draws nourishment from some of the abdominal 
organs (womb, bowel, liver, stomach, etc.). 

Syviptoms. — The symptoms are those of pregnancy, which may be 
suddenly complicated by inflammation (peritonitis),, owing to rupture 
of the sac containing the fetus; or at full term signs of calving 
appear, but no progress is made; an examination with the oiled hand 
in the vagina or rectum finds the womb empty and its mouth closed. 
Further examination will disclose the fetal sac attached in some part 
of the abdominal cavity, and containing the more or less perfectly 
developed body of a, calf. In the most hopeful cases the fetus per- 
ishes at an earlj^ stage of gestation, becomes inclosed in a fibrous sac, 
and is slowly absorbed, its soft parts becoming liquefied and removed 
and the bones remaining encysted. In some cases the bones have 
finally sloughed into the rectum or through an artificial ojiening in 
the side of the belly. 

Treatment. — Little can be done in such cases except to quiet pain 
and excitement by anodynes (opium, chloral, etc.) and leave the rest 
to nature. A fistula discharging bones maj^ be dilated and the bones 
extracted, the sac being then washed out with a solution of 10 grains 
bichloride of mercury in a quart of water. In certain cases with a 
live calf a skillful operator might be justified in cutting into the abdo- 
men and extracting the calf Avith its membranes, using the lotion just 
named as an antiseptic. 

PROLONGED RETENTION OP THE FETUS. 

Even when the ^etus has developed within the womb it may fail to 
be delivered at the proper time; labor pains have quickl}^ subsided 
and the cow resumed her usual health. In such cases the calf dies, 
and its soft parts are gradually liquefied and absorbed, while its bones 
remain for years in the womb inclosed in the remains of the fetal 
membranes. These may be expelled at any time through the natural 
channels, or they may remain indefinitely in the womb, not interfer- 
ing with the general health, but preventing conception. 

If the true condition of things is recognized at the time of the sub- 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGAISTS. 161 

sidence of the labor pains, the mouth of the womlj may be dilated \)y 
the fingers, hy the insertion of sponge tents, or by a mechanical 
dilator (PI, XX, fig. 6) the fetal membranes may be ruptured and the 
calf extracted. After the removal of the calf and its membranes the 
danger of putrid poisoning may be obviated by injecting the anti- 
septic solution advised in the paragraph above. 

ABORTION (slinking THE CALF). 

Technically, abortion is the term used for the expulsion of the off- 
spring before it can live out of the womb. Its expulsion after it is 
capable of an indei^endent existence is premature parturition. Iji the 
cow this may be after seven and one-half months of pregnane^'. Earl 
Spencer failed to raise any calf born before the two hundred and forty- 
second day. Dairj^men use the term abortion for the expulsion of the 
product of conception at any time before the completion of the full 
period of a normal pregnancy, and in this sense it will be employed 
in this article. 

Abortion in cows is either contagious or noncontagious. It does not 
follow that the contagium is the sole cause in every case in which it is 
present. We know that the organized germs of contagion vary much 
in potency at different times, and that the animal system also varies 
in susceptibility to their attack. . The germ may therefore be present 
in a herd without any manifest injury, its disease-producing power 
having for the time abated considerably, or the whole herd being in a 
condition of comparative insusceptibility. At other times the same 
germ may have become so virulent that almost all pregnant cows suc- 
cumb to its force, or the herd may have been subjected to other causes 
of abortion which, though of themselves powerless to actually cause 
abortion, may yet so predispose the animals that even the weaker 
germ will operate with destructive effect. In dealing with this dis- 
ease, therefore, it is the part of wisdom not to rest satisfied with the 
discovery and removal of one specific cause, but rather to exert one- 
self to find every existent cause and to secure a remedy by correcting 
all the harmful conditions. 

CAUSES OF NONCONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 

As abortion most frequently occurs at those three- week intervals 
at which the cow would have been in heat if nonpregnant, we may 
assume a predisposition at such times due to a periodicity in the 
nervous system and functions. Poor condition, weakness, and a too 
watery state of the blood is often a predisposing cause. This in its 
turn may result from poor or insufficient food, from the excessive 
drain upon the udder while bearing the calf, from the use of food 
deficient in certain essential elements, like the nitrogenous constitu- 
ents or albuminoids, from chronic wasting diseases, from roundworms 
8267—04 11 



162 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

or tapeworms \a the bowels, from flatworms (flukes, trematodes) in the 
liver, from worms in the lungs, from dark, damp, unhealthy' build- 
ings, etc. In some such cases the nourishment is so deficient that the 
fetus dies in the womb and is expelled in consequence. Excessive 
loss of blood, attended as it usually is b3' shock, becomes a direct 
cause of abortion. 

Acute inflammations of imi^ortant organs are notorious causes of 
abortion, and in most contagious fevers (lung plague, rinderpest, 
foot-and-mouth disease) it is a common result. Afi'ections of the chest 
which prevent due aeration of the blood induce contractions of the 
womb, as shown experimentally by Brown-Sequard. Pregnant women 
suffocated in smoke aborted in many cases." 

Chronic diseases of the abdominal organs are fertile sources of abor- 
tion, especially those that cause bloating (tympau}' of the first stom- 
ach) or diarrhea, or the diseases of the ovaries, kidneys, or bladder. 
The presence of gravel, or stone, in the kidnej's, bladder, or urinarj' 
canals is an especial j)redisposing or even an exciting cause in mag- 
nesian limestone districts and in winter. The presence of tubercles 
in the ovaries, the broad ligaments of the womb, and even on the 
outer surface of the womb itself, must be added as efficient causes. 

Fatty degeneration of the heart, a common disease in old cows of 
improved beef breeds, lessens the circulation in the placenta (and 
fetus) and, arresting nutrition, may cause abortion. 

Indigestions of all kinds are especially" dangerous, as they are usu- 
ally associated with overdistention of the first stomach (paunch) with 
gas. As this stomach lies directly beneath and to the left side of the 
womb, any disorder, and above all an excessive distention of that 
organ, presses on or affects the womb and its contents dangerously. It 
further causes contractions of the womb by preventing aeration of the 
blood. Hence all that tends to indigestion is to be carefully guarded 
against. Privation of water, which hinders rumination and digestion ; 
ice-cold water, which rouses the womb to contraction and the calf to 
vigorous movement; green, succulent grass, to which the cow lias been 
unaccustomed; clover which has just been wet with a slight shower; 
all green food, roots, jjotatoes, api^les, pumpkins that are frozen or 
have been, or that are simply covered with hoar frost; food that has 
been grown in wet seasons or that has been badly liarvested; growing 
corn, oats, etc., if the animal is unused to them; a too drj' food or a 
too stimulating food (wheat bran, x^ease, maize, and cotton seed) fed 
too lavishly may, any one of them, induce abortion. The dry and 
stimulating foods last named bring on constipation with straining, 
and also elevated temperature of the body, which, in itself, endangers 
the life of the fetus. 

Putrid, stagnant water is hurtful l)0th to digestion and the fetus, 
and abortions in cows have been repeatedly traced to this source and 

«Retoul. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 1G3 

have ceased when pure water was supplied. Erg'oted grasses have 
long been known as a cause of widespread abortion in cows. The 
ergot is familiar as the dark purple or black, hard, spur-like growths 
which i)rotrude from the seeds of the grasses at the period of their 
ripening. (PI. V.) It is especially common in damp localities and 
cloudy seasons on meadows shaded by trees and protected against the 
free sweep of the winds. The same is to a large extent true of smut. 
Hence, wet years have been often remarkable for the great prevalence 
of abortions. Abortions have greatly increased in Ncav Zealand 
among cows since the introduction of rye grass, which is specially 
subject to ergot. As abortion is more prevalent in old dairying dis- 
tricts, the ergot may not be the sole cause in this instance. 

The smut of maize, wheat, barley, and oats is fostered bj' similar 
conditions and is often equally injurious. It should be added that 
the ergots and smuts of certain years are far more injurious than those 
of others. This may be attributed to the fact that thej'^ have grown 
under different conditions, and therefore have developed somewhat 
different properties, a habit of fungi which has been often observed; 
or that in certain seasons the cows have been more powerfully predis- 
posed \)y other operative causes of abortion. 

Both ergot and smut vary in potencj' according to the stage of 
growth. Dr. Kluge found that the ergot gathered before the grain 
had fully ripened was much more j)owerful than that from the fully 
rij)ened grain. McGugen found the ergot of wheat more potent than 
that of r^^e. It should be added that both ergot and smut are robbed 
somewhat of their deleterious i)roperties if fed with an abundance of 
w'ater, so that the}' may prove harmless if fed with roots, ensilage, 
etc., whereas they will prove hurtful when fed in the same amount 
with dry hay. They are also more liable to injure if fed for a long 
time in succession in winter, though it raaj" be in smaller quantity. 

Rust is also charged with causing abortions. '^ That other crypto- 
gams found in mustj^ fodder are productive of abortion has been 
well established. In Germanj' and France the wet years of 1851, 
1852, and 1853 were notorious for the prevalence of abortions.* 
Fodders harvested in such seasons are always more or less musty, 
and musty hay and grain have been long recognized as a prolific 
cause of digestive, urinary, and cerebral disorders. Impactions and 
bloatiugs of the stomachs, excessive secretion of urine (diuresis), and 
red-water are common results of such musty fodder, and we have 
already seen that such disorders of the digestive and urinary organs 
are verj^ liable to affect the pregnant womb and induce abortion. 

The riding of one another by cows is attended bj'' such severe mus- 
cular exertion, jars, jolts, mental excitement, and gravitation of the 
womb and abdominal organs backward that it may easilj^ cause 
abortion in a predisposed animal. 

«Gerlach, Haselbach. ^Baumeister, Rueff, Rondaud, Trehit. 



'1<)4 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Keeping in stalls that slope too much behind (over 2 inches) acts in 
the same waj', the compression due to Ijing- and the gravitation back- 
ward proving more than a predisposed cow can safeh^ bear. 

Deep gutters behind the stalls, into which one or both hind limbs 
slip unexpectedly, strain the loins and jar the body and womb most 
injuriously. Slippery stalls in which the flooring boards are laid 
longitudinall}' in place of transversely, and on which no cleats or 
other device is adopted to give a firm foothold, are almost equally 
dangerous. Driving on icy ground or through a narrow doorway 
where the abdomen is liable to be jammed are other common causes. 
Offensive odors undoubtedly cause abortion. To understand this one 
must take into account the preternaturally acute sense of smell pos- 
sessed by cattle. By this sense the bull instantly recognizes the 
pregnant cow and refrains from disturbing her, while man, with all 
his boasted skill and precise methods, finds it diflftcult to come to a 
just conclusion. The emanations from a cow in heat, however, will 
instantly draw the bull from a long distance. Carrion in the pas- 
ture fields or about slaughterhouses near by, the emanations from 
shallow graves, dead rats or chickens about the barns, and dead 
calves, the product of prior abortions, are often chargeable with the 
occurrence of abortions. Aborting cows often fail to expel the after- 
birth, and if this remains hanging in a putrid condition it is most 
injurious to pregnant cows in the near vicinity. So with retained 
afterbirth in other cows after calving. That some cows kept in filthy 
stables or near.-b3' slaughterhouses may become inured to the odors and 
escape the evil results is no disproof of the injurious effects so often 
seen in such cases. 

The excitement, jarring, and jolting of a railroad journe}' will often 
cause abortion, especially as the cow nears the period of calving, and 
the terror or injury of railway or other accidents prove incomi^arably 
worse. 

All irritant poisons cause abortions by the disorder and inflamma- 
tion of the digestive organs, and if such agents act also on the kidneys 
or womb, the effect is materiall}^ enhanced. Powerful i)urgatives or 
diuretics should never be administered to the pregnant cow. 

During pregnancy the contact of the expanding womb with the 
paunch, just beneath it, and its further intimate connection through 
nervous sympathy with the whole digestive system, leads to various 
functional disorders, and especially to a morbid craving for unnatural 
objects of food. In the cow this is shown in the chewing of bones, 
pieces of wood, iron bolts, articles of clothing, lumps of hardened 
paint, etc. An unsatisfied craving of this kind, producing constant 
excitement of the nervous system, will strongly conduce to abortion. 
IIow much more so if the food is lacking in the mineral matter, and 
especially the phosphates necessar}- for the building up of the body of 
both dam and offspring, to say nothing of that drained off in every 



DISEASES OF THE GENEBATIVE ORGANS. 165 

milking. This state of things is i)resent in many old daiiy farms, from 
which the mineral matters of the surface soil have been sold ofE in the 
milk or cheese for generations and no return has been made In food 
or manure purcha.sted. Here is the craving of an imperative need, and 
if it is not supplied the health of the cow suffers and the life of the 
fetus may be sacrificed. 

Among other causes of abortion must be named the death or the vari- 
ous illnesses of the fetus, which are about as numerous as those of the 
adult ; the slipping of a young fetus through a loop in the navel string 
so as to tie a knot wliich will tighten later and interrupt the flow of 
blood with fatal effect, and the twisting of the navel string by the 
turning of the fetus until little or no blood can flow through the con- 
torted cord. There is in addition a series of diseases of the mucous 
membrane of the womb, and of the fetal membranes (inflammation, 
effusion of blood, detachment of the membranes from the womb, fatty 
or other degenerations, etc.), which interfere with the supply of blood 
to the fetus or change its quality so that death is the natural result, 
followed by abortion. 

CAUSE OF CONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 

While any one of the above conditions may concur with the con- 
tagious principle in precipitating an epizootic of abortion, yet it is 
only by reason of the contagium that the disease can be indefinitely 
perpetuated and transferred from herd to herd. When an aborting 
cow is placed in a herd that has hitherto been healthy, and shortly 
afterwards miscarriage becomes prevalent in that herd and continues 
year after year, in s])\te of the fact that all the other conditions of life 
in that herd remain the same as before, it is manifest that the result 
is due to contagion. When a bull, living in a health}^ herd, has been 
allowed to serve an aborting cow, or a cow from an aborting herd, and 
when the members of his own herd subsec[uently served b}^ him abort 
in considerable numbers, contagion may be safely inferred. Mere 
living in the same pasture or building does not convej" the infection. 
Cows brought into the aborting herd in advanced pregnancy carry 
tjieir calves to the full time. But cows served by the infected bull, or 
that have had the infection conveyed by the tongue or tail of other 
animals, or by their own, or that have had the external genitals brought 
in contact with wall, fence, rubbing post, litter, or floor previously 
soiled by the infected animals, will be liable to suffer. The Scottish 
abortion committee found that when healthy, pregnant cows merely 
stood with or near aborting cows they escaped, but when a piece of 
cotton wool lodged for twenty minutes in the vagina of the aborting 
cow was afterwards inserted into the vagina of a healthy, pregnant 
cow orsheep, these latter invariably aborted within a month. So Roloff 
relates that in two large stables at Erfurt, without an}' direct inter- 
communication, but filled with cows fed and managed in precisely 



166 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the same way, abortion prevailed for years iu the one, while not a sin- 
gle case occurred in the other. Galtier finds that the virus from the 
aborting" cow causes abortions in the sow, ewe, goat, rabbit, and 
guinea pig, and that if it has been intensified by passing thi-ough 
either of the two last-named animals it will affect also the mare, bitch, 
and cat. 

It does not appear that it is always the same organism which causes 
contagious abortion. In France, Nocard found in the aborting mem- 
branes and the mucous membrane cocci, or globular bodies, singly 
or in chains, and a very delicate rod-shaped organism by whicli the 
disease Avas propagated and which survived in the womb through the 
interval between successive pregnancies. The Scottish commission 
found as many as five sejjarate kinds of bacteria. Bang, in Denmark, 
found a very delicate rod-shaped organism showing its most active 
growth at two different depths in nutrient gelatin, and which produced 
abortion in twenty-one days when inoculated on the susceptible preg- 
nant cow. In America, Chester, of Delaware, and Moore, of New 
York, constantly found organisms differing somewhat in the two 
States, but evidently of the same group with the colon germ {Bacterium 
coli commune). These were never found in the healthy jjregnant 
womb, but in the cow that had aborted they continued to live in that 
organ for many months after the loss of the fetus. 

We may reasonably conclude that any microorganism which can 
live in or on the lining membrane of the womb producing a catarrhal 
inflammation, and which can be transferred from animal to animal 
without losing its vitality or potency, is of necessity a cause of con- 
tagious abortion. As viewed, therefore, from the particular germ 
that may be present, we must recognize not one form only of conta- 
gious abortion, but several, each due to its own infecting germ, and each 
differing from others in minor particulars, like duration of incubation, 
infection of the general system, and the like. In Europe the germs 
discovered seem to affect the general system much more than do those 
found in America. Bang's germ caused abortion in twenty-one days; 
the New York germ, inoculated at service, often fails to cause abor- 
tion before the fifth or seventh month. 

Symjjfoms of abort ion. — As occurring during the first two or three 
months of gestation, symi^toms may escape detection, and unless the 
aborted product is seen the fact of abortion may escape notice. Some 
soiling of the tail with mucus, blood, and the waters may be observed 
or the udder may show extra firmness, and in the virgin heifer or dry 
cow the i^resence of a few drops of millv may be suggestive, or the 
fetus and its membranes maj' be found in the gutter or elsewhere as 
a mere clot of blood or as a membranous ball in which the forming 
body of the fetus is found. In water the villi of the outer meml)rane 
(chorion, PI. XII) float out, giving it a characteristicallj" shaggy 
appearance. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGAlSrS. 167 

In advanced pregnancy abortion is largely the connterpart of par- 
turition, so that a special descrijition is superfluous. The important 
thing is to distinguish the early symptoms from those of other dis- 
eases, so that the tendency may be arrested and the animal carried 
to full time if possible. A cow is dull, sluggish, separate from the 
herd, che^ying the cud languidl}^, or there maj'^ be frequent lying down 
and rising, uneasy movements of the liind feet or of the tail, and 
slightly accelerated pulse and breathing, and dry muzzle. The im- 
portant thing is not to confound it with digestive or urinarj'^ disor- 
der, but in a pregnant cow to examine at once for any increase of 
mucus in the vagina, or for blood or liquid there or on the root of the 
tail; for any enlargement, firmness, or tenderness of the udder; or in 
dry cows examine for milk; and above all for any slight straining 
suggestive of labor pains. 

In manj^ cases the membranes are discharged with the fetus; in 
others, in advanced pregnancy, they fail to come away, and remain 
hanging from the vulva, putrefying and falling piecemeal, finall}" 
resulting in a fetid discharge from the womb. According to the size 
of the herd, contagious abortions will follow one another at intervals 
of one to four or more weeks, in the order^of their infection or of the 
recurrence of the j)eriod of activity of the womb which coi-responds 
to the occurrence of heat. 

Prevention. — Weakness and bloodlessness are to be obviated by 
generous feeding, and especially in aliments (wheat bran, rape cake, 
cotton seed, oats, barley, beans, pease, etc.), rich in earthy salts, 
which will also serve to correct the morbid appetite. This will also 
regenerate the exhausted soil if the manure is returned to it. In the 
same waj^ the application of ground bones or phosj^hates will correct 
the evil, acting in this case through the soil first and raising better 
food for the stock. The ravages of worms are to be obviated by 
avoiding infested pastures, j^onds, streams, shallow wells, or those 
receiving any surface leakage from land where stock go, and by feed- 
ing salt at will, as this agent is destructive to most young worms. 

The tendency to urinary calculi in winter is avoided by a succulent 
diet (ensilage, steamed food, roots, pumpkins, apples, j)otatoes, slops), 
and by the avoidance of the special causes named under "Gravel." 
(See p. 128.) Furnishing water inside the barn in winter in place of 
driving once a day to take their fill of ice-cold water will obviate a 
common evil. Putrid and stagnant waters are to be avoided. Sud- 
den changes of food ai-e alwaj^s reprehensible, but much more so in 
the i^regnant animal. Let the change be gradual. Carefully avoid 
the use of spoiled or unwholesome food. 

In case of prevalence of ergot in a pasture it should be kept eaten 
down or cut down with a mower so that no portion runs to seed. 
(See PI. Y.) In case of a meadow the grass must be cut early before 
the seeds have filled. The most dangerous time appears to be between 



1(38 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tlie formation of the milky seed and the full ripening. Yet the ergot 
is larger in proportion to the ripeness, so that the loss of potency is 
made up in quantity. The ripe seed and ergot may be removed by 
thrashing and the hay safely fed. It may also be noted that both 
ergot and smut may be safely fed in moderate quantity, i)rovided it 
is used with succulent food (ensilage, roots, etc.) or with free access 
to water, and salt is an excellent accessory as encouraging the animal 
to drink. Both ergot and smut are most injurious in winter, when the 
water supply is frozen up or accessible only at long intervals. The 
ergoted seed when thrashed out can not be safely sown, but if first 
boiled it may be fed in small amount or turned into manure. The 
growth of both ergot and smut may be to a large extent prevented by 
the time-honored Scotch practice of sprinkling the seed with a satu- 
rated solution of sulphate of copper before sowing. 

Fields badly affected with ergot or smut may be practically renewed 
by plowing up and cultivating for a series of years under crops (tur- 
nips, beets, potatoes, buckwheat, etc) which do not harbor the fungus 
and which require much cultivation and exposure of the soil. Drain- 
age and the removal of all unnecessary barriers to the free action of 
sunshine and wind are important i^rovisions. 

Other precautions concerning separation from cows in heat — a 
proper construction of stalls, the avoidance of carrion and other 
offensive odors, protection from all kinds of mechanical injuries, 
including overdriving and carrying by rail in advanced pregnancy, 
the exclusion of all irritants or strong purgatives and diuretics from 
food or medicine, and the guarding against all causes of indigestion 
and bloating — have been sufficiently indicated under "Causes" 
(p. 1G5). For protection of the womb and fetus against the various 
causes of disease, available methods are not so evident. For cows 
that have aborted in the last pregnancy, chlorate of potash, 3 drams 
daily before the recurrence of the expected abortion, has been held 
to be useful. 

TREATMENT OF NONCONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 

Although the first symptoms of al)ortion have appeared, it does not 
follow that it will go on to completion. So long as the fetus has not 
perished, if the waters have not been discharged, nor the water bags 
presented, attempts should be made to check its progress. Every 
appreciable and removable cause should be done away with, the cow 
should be placed in a quiet stall alone, and agents given to check the 
excitement of the labor pains. Laudanum in doses of 1 ounce for a 
small cow or 2 ounces for a large one should be promptly administered 
and rejieated in three or four hours, should the labor pains recur. 
This may be kept up for days or even weeks if necessary, though that 
is rarely required, as the trouble either subsides or abortion occurs. 
If the laudanum seems to lack permanency of action, use bromide of 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 109 

potassium, or, better, extract of Viburnum prunifolium (40 grains), 
at intervals of two or three hours until five or six doses have been 
given. 

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 

So far as this differs from tlie treatment of sporadic abortion, it 
consists in separation and the free use of germicides or disinfectants. 

(1) Separate all aborting cows in isolated building, yard, and pas- 
ture, allowing no other cows to have access even to their manure, 
liquid or solid. Not even breeding ewes, goats, sows, rabbits, or 
mares should be allowed to go from the isolated to the noninfected 
premises. Separate attendants and utensils are desirable. 

(2) Scrape and wash the back part of the stall and gutter and water 
it with a solution of 5 ounces sulphate of copper (bluestone) in 1 gal- 
lon pure water. Repeat this cleaning and watering at least once a 
week. This should in all cases be applied to every stall where an 
aborting cow has stood and to those adjacent. To treat the whole in 
the same way would be even better, as it is impossible to say how 
many of the cows harbor the germ. This is the more needful as that 
in one to three years, if the aborting cow is kept on, she becomes 
insusceptible and. carries her calf to full time. A cow may therefore 
be infecting to others though she herself no longer aborts. 

(3) Dissolve 1 dram corrosive sublimate, 1 ounce each of alcohol and 
glycerine, and shake this up in a gallon of water, to use as an injection 
into the vagina and a wash for the parts about the vulva and root of 
the tail. Being very poisonous, it should be kept in a wooden barrel 
out of the way of animals or children. Every morning the vulva, 
anus, back of the hips, and root of the tail should be sponged with this 
liquid, and this is best applied to the whole herd. A 1 i)er cent solu- 
tion of carbolic acid is a good substitute. 

(4) When any case of abortion has occurred the fetal membranes 
must be removed by the hand without delay, and, together with the 
fetus, destroyed by burning or boiling, or buried deeply, and the stall 
should be cleansed and watered freely with the copper solution. Then 
the womb should be washed out with 1^- gallons of the corrosive 
sublimate solution injected through a rubber tube introduced to the 
depth of the womb and with a funnel in its outer elevated end. This 
should be repeated daily for a week. In the case of the other non- 
pregnant cows of the herd one injection of the same kind should be 
made into the vagina, after which they need only have their external 
parts and tail washed \vith the solution daily. 

(5) Do not breed aborting cows for two or three months, then use a 
separate bull, injecting his sheath and washing his bell}^ before and 
after each service with the carbolic-acid solution. Exclude all out- 
side cows from service by the regular herd sire and, in purchasing 



170 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

breeding animals, subject them to quarantine and treatment before 
placing them in the sound herd. 

As a certain number of the cows will harbor the germ in the womb 
wlien treatment is started, it is not to be exi)ected that abortions will 
cease at once, but by keeping up the treatment the trouble may be 
got rid of in the following year. As an aborting cow is usually of 
little use for the dairy, it is best to separate and fatten her and apply 
treatment to those that remain. In this, as in other delicate manipu- 
lations, the stock owner will consiilt his own interest by employing an 
accomplished veterinarian and avoiding such as have not had the 
Ijrivileges of a thorough professional education. In addition to the 
above, the removal of all manure and contaminated litter and the 
sprinkling of the surface with the sulphate of copper solution is called 
for. Drains should no less be thoroughlj^ rinsed and disinfected. 
Milking stools and other implements may be treated in the same way, 
or with carbolic acid or boiling water. Great care should be taken to 
guard against bull or cows from an aborting herd or district; streams 
even may be suspected if there is an aborting herd near by and higher 
up on that stream. Cows sent to bull from an aborting herd are to be 
positively denied, and workmen that have attended on such a herd 
should be made to wash and disinfect their clothes and persons. 

SYMPTOMS OF CALVING. 

In the cow the premonitions of calving are the enlargement of the 
udder, which becomes firm and resistant to the touch, with more or 
less swelling in front, and yields a serous milky fluid; the enlarge- 
ment and swelling of the vulva, which discharges an abundant stringy 
mucus; the droo^jing of the belly, and the falling in of the muscles at 
each side of the root of the tail, so as to leave deep hollows. AVhen 
this last symptom is seen calving may be counted on in twenty-four 
hours or in two or three days. When the act is imminent, the cow 
becomes uneasy, moves restlessly, leaves off eating, in the field leaves 
the herd, lies down and rises again as if in pain, shifts upon her hind 
feet, moves the tail, and may bellow or moan. When labor pains 
come on the back is arched, the croup drooped, the helly is drawn up, 
and straining is more or less violent and continuous. MeauMhile 
blood may have ai^peared on the vulva and tail, and soon the clear 
water bags protrude between the lips of the vulva. They increase 
rapidly, hanging down toward the hocks, and the fore or hind feet 
can be detected within them. AVith the rupture of the bags and 
escajje of the waters the womb contracts on the solid angular body of 
the fetus and is at once stimulated to more violent contractions, so 
that the work proceeds with redoubled energy to the complete expul- 
sion. Tliis is the reason why it is wrong to rujjture the water bags if 
the presentation js normal, as the}^ furnish a soft, uniform pressure 
for the preliminarj^ dilation of the mouth of the womb and i)assages, 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. l7l 

in autieipation of the severe strain put upon thoni as tlie solid body 
of tlie calf passes. 

The cow often calves standing, in which case the navel siring is 
broken as the calf falls to the ground. If, however, she is recumbent, 
this cord is torn through as she rises up. The afterpains come on 
three or four hours later and expel the membranes, which should 
never be left longer than twenty-four hours. 

NATURAL PRESENTATION. 

When there is but one calf the natural presentation is that of the 
fore feet with the front of the hoofs and knees turned upward toward 
the tail of the dam and the nose \ying between the knees. (PI. XV.) 
If there are twins the natural position of the second is that of the hind 
feet, the heels and hocks turned upward toward the cow's tail. (PL 
XVIII, fig. 1. ) In both of these natural positions the curvature of the 
bodj^ of the calf —the back arched upward — is the same with the curva- 
ture of the passages, which descend anteriorly into the womb, ascend 
over the brim of the pelvis, and descend again toward the external 
opening (vulva). Any presentation differing from the above is 
abnormal. 

OBSTACLES TO PARTURITION. 

With a well-formed cow and calf and a natural presentation as above, 
calving is usuall}" prompt and easy. Obstacles may, however, come 
from failure of the mouth of the womb to dilate; from twisting of 
the neck of the womb; from tumors in the vagina; from dropsy in 
the womb or abdomen; from over distension of the rectum or bladder; 
from undue narrowing of the passages; from excess of fat in the Avails 
of the pelvis; from the disturbance of a nervous cow by noises; from 
Btone or urine in the bladder; from wrong presentation of the calf, 
its back being turned downw^ard or to one side in place of upward 
toward the spine of the dam ; f I'om the bending backward into the 
body of the womb of one or more limbs or of the head; from presen- 
tation of the back, shoulder, or croup, all four limbs being turned 
back; from presentation of all four feet at once; from obstruction 
caused by an extra head or extra limbs, or double bodj' on the part of 
the offspring (PL XIX) ; from dropsj' or other disease of the calf; from 
excessive or imperfect development of the calf; from the impaction 
of twins at the same time into the passages; or it may be at times 
from the mere excessive volume of the fetus. 

GENERAL MAXIMS FOR THE ASSISTANT CONCERNING DIFFICULT PAR- 
TURITION. 

Do not interfere too soon. " Meddlesome midwiferj^ is bad" with 
animals as with women. After labor pains set in, give a reasonable 
time for the water bags to protrude and burst spontaneously, and only 



172 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

interfere when delay suggests some raeclianieal obstruction. If there 
is no mechanical obstruction, let the calf be expelled slowly by the 
unaided efforts of the cow. Bruises and lacerations of the passages 
and flooding from the uncontraeted womb may come from the too 
speedy extraction of the calf. When assistance is necessary, the oper- 
ator should dress in a thick flannel shirt from which the sleeves have 
been cut off clear up to the shoulders. This avoids danger of expos- 
ure, and yet leaves the whole arm free and untrammeled. Before 
inserting the hand, it and the arm should be smeared with oil, lard, 
or vaseline, care being taken that the oil or lard is fresh, neither 
salted nor rancid, and that it has been purified by boiling or rendered 
antiseptic by the addition of a teaspoonful of carbolic acid to the 
pound. 

This is a valuable precaution against infecting the cow by intro- 
ducing putrid ferments into the passages, and against iDoisoning of 
the arm by decomposing discharges in case the calving is unduly pro- 
tracted. Wlieni labor pains have lasted some time without any signs 
of the water bags, the dropping in at the sides of the rump, and the 
other preparations for calving being accomplished, the hand should 
be introduced to examine. When the water bags have burst and 
neither feet nor head appear for some time, examination should be 
made. When one fore foot only and the head appears, or both fore 
feet without the head, or the head without the fore feet, examine. If 
one hind foot aj)j)ears without the other, make examination. The 
jDresenting limb or head should be secured by a rope with a running 
noose, so that it may not pass back into the womb and get lost during 
the subsequent manipulations, but may be retained in the vagina or 
brought up again easily. In searching for a missing member, it is 
usually better to turn the head of the cow down hill, so that the gravi- 
tation of the fetus and abdominal organs forward into the belly of 
the cow may give more room in which to bring up the missing limb 
or head. If the cow is lying down turn her on the side opposite to 
that on which the limb is missing, so that there may be more room 
for bringing the latter up. Even if a missing limb is reached it is 
vain to attempt to bring it up during a labor pain. Wait until tlie 
pain has ceased, and attempt to straighten out the limb before the 
next x>ain comes on. If the pains are violent and continuous, the^^ 
may be checked by pinching the back or by putting a tight surcingle 
round the body in front of the udder. These failing, 1 ounce or 1^ 
ounces of chloral hydrate in a quart of water may be given to check 
the i)ains. If the passages have dried up or lost their natural lubri- 
cating liquid, smear the interior of the passages and womb, and the 
surface of tlie calf so far as it can be reached, with pure fresh lard; 
or pure sweet oil may be run into the womb through a rubber tube 
(fountain syringe). In dragging upon the fetus appl3' strong traction 
only wliile the mother is sti-aining, and drag downward toward tlie 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. TTS 

hocks as well as backward. The natural curvature of both fetus and 
passages is thus followed, and the extraction rendered easier. 

LABOR PAINS BEFORE RELAXATION OF THE PASSAGES. 

An}^ of the various causes of abortion may bring on lal)or pains 
before the time. Straining comes on days or weeks before the time, 
and there is not the usual enlargement, swelling, and mucous dis- 
charge from the vulva. There is little or no falling in by the sides 
of the root of the tail; the abdomen has not dropped to the usual 
extent, and the udder is less developed and yields little or no milk. 
In spite of the pains no water bags appear, and the oiled hand cau- 
tiously introduced into the vagina finds the neck of the womb firmly 
closed, rigid, and undilatable. If it is known that the cow has not 
reached her proper time of calving, the examination through the 
vagina should be omitted and the animal should be lolaced in a dark, 
quiet place by herself, and be given 1 to 2 ounces laudanum. Vibur- 
num 2^^101 if oli am, 1 ounce, may be added, if necessary, and repeated 
in three hours. The pains will usually subside. 

In some instances the external parts are relaxed and duly prepared, 
but the neck of the womb remains rigidly closed. In such a ease the 
solid extract of belladonna should be smeared around the constricted 
opening and the animal left quiet until it relaxes. 

DISEASED INDURATION OF THE MOUTH OF THE W^OMB. 

From previous lacerations or other injuries the neck of the womb 
may have become the seat of fibrous hardening and constriction, so as 
to prevent its dilatation when all other parts are fully prepared for 
calving. The enlarged, flabbj^ vulva, the sinking at each side of the 
rump, the full udder and drooping abdomen indicate the proper time 
for calving, but the labor pains secure no progress in the dilatation of 
the mouth of the womb, and the oiled hand introduced detects the 
rigid, hard, and, in some cases, nodular feeling of the margins of the 
closed orifice, which no aj)plication of belladonna or other antispas- 
modic suffices to relax. Sponge tents maybe inserted or the mechan- 
ical dilator (PI. XX, fig. G) may be used if there is opening enough to 
admit it, and if not, a narrow-bladed probe-ijointed knife (PI. XXIV, 
fig. 2) may be passed through the orifice and turned upward, down- 
ward, and to each side, cutting to a depth not exceeding a quarter of 
an inch in each case. This done, a finger may be inserted, then two, 
three, and four, and finally all four fingers and thumb brought 
together in the form of a cone and made to push in with rotary motion 
until the whole hand can be introduced. After this the labor pains 
will induce further dilatation, and finally the presenting members of 
the calf will complete the process. 



171 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

TWISTING OF THE NECK OF THE WOMB. 

This is not very uncommon in the cow, the lengtli of the body of 
the womb and the looseness of the broad ligaments that attach it to 
the Avails of the pelvis favoring the twisting. It is as if one were to 
take a long sack rather loosely filled at the neck and turn over its 
closed end, so that its twisting should occur in the neck. The twist 
may be one-quarter round, so that the upper surface would come to 
look to one side, or it may be half round, so that what was the upper 
surface becomes the lower. The relation of the womb of the cow to 
the upper and right side of the paunch favors the twisting. The 
paunch occupies the whole left side of the abdomen and extends 
across its floor to the right side. Its upi)er surface thus forms an 
inclined plane, sloping from the left downward and to the right, and 
on this sloping surface lies the pregnant womb. 

It is easy to see how, in the constant movements of the paunch upon 
its contents and the frequent changes of position of the growing fetus 
within the womb, to say nothing of the contractions of the adjacent 
bowels and the more or less active movements of the cow, the womb 
should roll downward to the right. And yet in many cases the twist 
is toward the left, showing that it is not the result of a simple rolling 
downward over the paunch, but rather of other disturbances. The 
condition may be suspected when labor pains have continued for some 
time without any sign of the water bags, and it is confirmed when the 
oiled hand, introduced through the vagina, finds the mouth of the 
womb soft and yielding, but furnished with internal folds running for- 
ward in a spiral manner. If the folds on the upper wall of the orifice 
run toward the right, the womb is twisted to the right; if, on the con- 
trary, they turn toward the left it indicates that the womb is turned 
over in that direction. The direction of the twist must be known 
before treatment can be undertaken. Then, if the twist is toward the 
right, the cow is laid upon her right side with her head downhill, the 
hand of the operator is inti'oduced through the spirally constricted 
neck of the womb, and a limb or other portion of the bodj' of the calf 
is seized and pressed firmly against the wall of the womb. Meanwhile 
two or three assistants roll the cow from her right side over her back 
to her left side. The object is to hold the womb and calf still while 
the body of the cow rolls over. If successful, the twist is undone, its 
grasp on the wrist is slackened, and the water bags and calf press into 
the now open j)assage. If the first attempt does not succeed, it is to 
be repeated until success has been attained. If the spiral folds on the 
upper wall of the opening turn toward the left, the cow is laid on her 
left side and rolled over on her back and onto the right side, the hand 
being, as before, within the womb, and holding the fetus, so that all 
may not rotate with the cow. In introducing the hand it will usually 
be found needful to perforate the membranes, so that a limb of the calf 



DISEA.SE& OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 175 

may be seized direct and firmly lield. Among my occasional causes 
of failure with these cases have been, first, the previous death and 
decomposition of the fetus, leading to such overdistention of the M'omb 
that it could not be made to rotate within the abdomen, and, second, 
the occurrence of inflammation and an exudate on the twisted neck 
of tlie womb, which hindered it from untwisting. 

In obstinate cases, in which the hand can be made to pass through 
the neck of the womb easily, additional help may be had from the use 
of the instrument shown in PI. XX, fig. 5. Two cords, with running 
nooses, are successively introduced and made fast on two limbs of the 
calf; the cords are then passed through the two rings on the end of the 
instrument, which is j)assed into the womb and the cords drawn tight 
and fixed round the handle. Then, using the handle as a lever, it is 
turned in the direction opposite to the twist. The hand should mean- 
while be introduced into the womb and the snared limbs seized and 
pressed against its walls so as to secure the rotation of the uterus along 
with the body of the fetus. The relaxation of the constriction and 
the effacement of the spiral folds will show when success has been 
gained, and the different members at one end of the body should then 
be brought up so as to secure a natural presentation. 

NARROW PELVIS FROM FRACTURE OR DISEASE. 

In a small cow the pelvis may be too narrow to pass a calf sired by 
a bull of a large breed, but this is exceptional, as the fetus usually 
accommodates itself to the size of the dam and makes its extra growth 
after birth. AVhen the pelvic bones have been fractured repair takes 
place with the formation of a large permanent callus, which, projecting 
internallj^ may be a serious obstacle to calving. Worse still, if the 
edge of the broken bone projects internally as a sharp spike or ridge, 
the vaginal walls are cut ui3on this during the passage of the calf, 
with serious or fatal result. In other cases, where the cow has suffered 
from fragility of bone (fragilitas osshmi) the thickening of the bone 
causes narrowing of the long ftassage of the pelvis and the crumb- 
ling fractures jDoorly repaired, with an excess of brittle new material, 
may form an insuperable obstacle to parturition. Cows affected in any 
of these ways should never again be bred, but if they do get pregnant 
and reach full time a careful examination will be necessarj- to deter- 
mine whether natural i^arturition can take place, or if the calf must 
be extracted in pieces. (See "Smbrj^otomy," p. 108.) 

OBSTRUCTION BY MASSES OF FAT. 

This is not unknown in old cows of the beef breeds, the enormous 
masses of fat upon and within the pelvis being associated with weak- 
ness or iatty degeneration of the muscles. If the presentation is nat- 
ural, little more isAvanted than a judicious traction upon the fetus to 
compress and overcome the soft resisting masses. 



176 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

OBSTRUCTION BY A FULL BLADDER OR RECTUM OR BY STONE. 

Ill nil cases of delayed or tardy parturition the evacuation of rectum 
and bladder is important, and it is no less so in all difficult parturi- 
tions. Stone in tlie bladder is fortunately rare in the cow, but when 
present it should be removed to obviate crushing and perhaps perfora- 
tion of the organ during calving. 

CALVING RETARDED BY NERVOUSNESS. 

In a public fair ground I have seen labor pains begin early in the 
day and keef) up in a weak and insufficient manner for many liours, 
until the stall was thoroughly closed in and the cow secluded from 
the constant stream of visitors and the incessant noise, when at once 
the pains became strong and effective and the calf was soon born. 

COAGULATED BLOOD UNDER THE VACCINAL WALLS, 

This is common after calving, but will sometimes occiir before, as 
the result of accidental injury. The mass may be recognized by its 
dark hue and the doughy sensation to the touch. It may be cut into 
and the mass turned out with the fingers, after which it should be 
washed frequently with an antiseptic lotion (carbolic acid 1 dram in 
1 quart of water). 

CONSTRICTION OF A MEMBER BY THE NAVEL STRING. 

In early fetal life the winding of the navel string round a limb may 
cause the latter to be slowly cut off by absorption under the constrict- 
ing cord. So at calving the cord wound round a presenting member 
may retard progress somewhat, and though the calf may still be born 
tardil}^ by the unaided efforts of the mother, it is liable to come still- 
born, because the circulation in the cord is interrupted by compres- 
sion before the offspring can reach the open air and commence to 
breathe. If, therefore, it is possible to anticipate and prevent this 
displacement and compression of the navel string it should be done, 
but if this is no longer possible, then the extraction of the calf should 
be effected as rapidly as x)ossible, and if breathing is not at once 
attempted it should be started by artificial means. 

WATER IN THE HEAD (HYDROCEPHALUS) OF THE CALF. 

This is an enormous distention of the cavity holding the brain, by 
reason of the accumulation of liquid in the internal cavities (ventri- 
cles) of the brain substance. The head back of the eyes rises into a 
great rounded ball (PI. XIX, figs. 4 and 5), which proves an insuper- 
able obstacle to parturition. The fore feet and nose being the parts 
presented, no progress can be made, and even if the feet are pulled 
upon, the nose can not by an}- means be made to appear. The oiled 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 177 

hand introduced into the passages will feel the nose presenting between 
the fore limbs, and on passing the hand back over the face the hard 
rounded mass of the cranium is met with. A sharp-pointed knife or 
a canula and trocar should be introduced in the palm of the hand and 
pushed into the center of the rounded mass so as to evacuate the water. 
The hand is now used to press together the hitherto distended but thin 
and fragile walls, and the calf may be delivered in the natural way. 
If the enlarged head is turned backward it must still be reached and 
punctured, after which it must be brought u^) into position and the 
calf delivered. 

If the hind feet jpresent first, all may go well until the bod}- and 
shoulders have passed out, when further i)rogress is suddenly arrested 
by the great bulk of the head. If possible, the hand, armed with a 
knife or trocar, must be passed along the side of the shoulder or neck 
so as to reach and puncture the distended head. Failing in this, the 
body maj^ be skinned up from the belly and cut in two at the shoulder 
or neck, after which the head can easily be reached and i)unctured. 
If in such a case the fore limbs have been left in the womb, these may 
now be brought up into the passage, and when dragged upon the col- 
lapsed head will follow. 

If the distention is not sufficient to have rendered the bony walls of 
the cranium thin and fragile, so that they can be compressed with the 
hand after puncture, a special method may be necessary. A long 
Incision should be made from behind forward in the median line of 
the cranium with an embryotomy knife (PL XXI, fig. 1) or with a long 
embryotome (PI. XX, fig. 3). By this means the bones on the one side 
are completely separated from those on the other and may be made 
to overlap and perhaps to flatten down. If this fails they may be cut 
from the head all around the base of the rounded cranial swelling, by 
means of a guarded chisel (PL XX, fig. 8) and mallet, after which 
there will be no difficulty in causing them to collapse. 

DROPSY OP THE ABDOMEN OF THE CALF (ASCITES). 

This is less frequent than hydrocei^halus, but no less difficult to deal 
with. With an anterior presentation the fore limbs and head may come 
away easily enough, but no effort will advance the calf beyond the 
shoulders. The first thought should be dropsy of the belly, and the 
oiled hand introduced by the side of the chest will detect the soft and 
fluctuating yet tense sac of the abdomen. If there is space to allow 
of the introduction of an embrj^otomy knife, the abdomen may be 
freely cut with this, when the fluid will escape into the womb and 
parturition may proceed naturally. If this can not be efi:ected, a long 
trocar and canula may be passed between the first two ribs and 
straight on beneath the spine until it punctures the abdomen. (PL 
XVIII, fig. 2.) Then the trocar is to be withdrawn and the liquid 

8287-04 13 



178 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

will flow through the canula and will be hastened by traction on the 
fore limbs. In the absence of the trocar and canula, two or three of 
the first ribs may be cut from the breastbone, so that the hand may be 
introduced through the chest to puncture the diaphragm with an 
embryotomy knife and allow an escape of the water. In some slighter 
cases a tardy deliver}^ vafty take place without puncture, the liquid 
bulging forward into the chest as the abdomen is compressed in the 
pelvic i^assages. With a posterior presentation the abdomen may be 
X)uuctured more easily either in the flank or with a trocar and canula 
through the anus. 

GENERAL DROPSY OF THE CALF. 

This occurs from watery blood or disease of some internal organ, 
like the liver or kidney, and is recognized b}' the general puffed up 
and rounded condition of the body, Avliich pits everywhere on pressure 
but without crackling. If not too extreme a case, the calf may bo 
extracted after it has been very generally i^unctured over the body, 
but usually the only resort is to extract it in pieces. (See "Embry- 
otomy," p. 198.) 

SWELLING OF THE CALF WITH GAS. 

This is usually tlie result of the death and decomposition of the 
fetus when extraction has been delaj'ed for a day or more after the 
escape of the waters. It is impossible to extract it whole, owing to 
its large size and the dry state of the skin of the calf, the membranes, 
and the wall of the womb. Tliese drj^ surfaces stick with such tenac- 
ity that no attempt at traction leads to any advance of the calf out of 
the womb or into the passages. When the fetus is advanced the 
adherent womb advances with it, and v/heu the strain is relaxed both 
recede to where they were at first. The condition may be helped 
somewhat by the free injection of oil into the womb, but it remains 
impossible to extract the enormously bloated bod}", and the only resort 
is to cut it in pieces and extract it by degrees. (See " Embrj'otomy," 
p. 198.) 

RIGID CONTRACTIONS OF Mt'SCLES. 

In the development of the calf, as in after life, the muscles are sub- 
ject to cramps, and in certain cases given groui^s of muscles remain 
unnaturally short, so that even the bones grow in a twisted and dis- 
torted way. In one case tlie head and neck are drawn round to one 
side and can not be straightened out, even the bones of the face and 
tlie nose being curved around to that side. In other cases the flexor 
muscles of the fore legs are so shortened that the knees are kept con- 
stantly^ bent and can not be extended hj force. Tlie bent neck may 
sometimes be sufficiently straightened for extraction bj" cutting across 
the muscles on the side to which it is turned, and the bent knees by 
cutting the cords on the back of the shank bones just below the knees. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 179 

If this fails, there remains tlie resort of cutting off the distorted limbs 
or head. (See "Embryotomy," p. 198.) 

TUMORS OF THE CALF (INCLOSED OVUM). 

Tumors or new growtlis grow on the unborn calf as on the mature 
animal, and by increasing the diameter of the body render its prog- 
ress through the passage of the pelvis impossible. In my experience 
with large fleshy tumors of the abdomen, I have cut open the chest, 
removed the lungs and heart, cut through the diaphragm with the 
knife, and removed the tumor piecemeal by alternate tearing and 
cutting until the volume of the body was sufSciently reduced to pass 
through. Where this failed it would remain to cut off the anterior 
part of the body, removing as much of the chest as possible, and cut- 
ting freely through the diaphragm ; then, pushing back the remainder 
of the bodj'-, the hind limbs may be seized and brought into the pas- 
sages and the residue extracted thus. The tumor, unless very large, 
will get displaced backward so as not to prove an insui^erable obstacle. 

In many cases the apparent tumor is a blighted ovum which has 
failed to develop, but has grafted itself on its more fortunate twin 
and from it has drawn its nourishment. These are usually' sacs con- 
taining hair, skin, muscle, bone, or other natural tissues, and only 
exceptionally do they show the distinct outline of the animal. 

MONSTROSITY IN THE CALF. 

As a monstrous development in the calf may hinder calving, it is 
well to consider shortly the different directions in which these devi- 
ations from the natural form appear. Their origin and significance 
will be rendered clearer if we divide them according to the fault of 
development in individual cases. Monsters are such — 

(1) From absence of parts — absence of head, limb, or other organ — 
arrested development. 

(2) From some organ being unnaturally small, as a dwarfed head, 
limb, trunk, etc. — arrested development. 

(3) From unnatural division of parts — cleft lips, palate, head, trunk, 
limbs, etc. — abnormal growth. 

(4) From the absence of natural divisions — absence of mouth, nose, 
eye, anus, the cloven foot of ox or j)ig becomes solid like that of the 
horse, etc. — confluence of parts which are rightfully separate. 

(5) From the fusion of parts — both ej^es replaced hy central one, 
both nostrils merged into one central oi^ening, etc. — confluence of i^arts. 

(G) From unnatural position or form of parts — curved nose, neck, 
back, limbs, etc. — lack of balance in the growth of muscles during 
development. 

(7) From excessive growth of one or more organs — enormous size of 
head, double penis, superfluous digits, etc. — redundancy of growth at 
given j)oints. 



180 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

(8) From imperfect differentiation of the sexual organs — hermaphro- 
dites (organs intermediate between male and female), male organs 
with certain feminine characters, female organs with certain well- 
marked male characters. 

(9) From the doubling of parts or of the entire body — double mon- 
sters, double heads, double bodies, extra limbs, etc. — redundant 
development. (PL XIX, figs. 1, 2, 3.) 

Causes. — The causes of monstrosities are varied. Some, like extra 
digits, lack of horns, etc., run in families, which produce them with 
absolute certainty when bred in the direct line, although they were 
originally acquired peculiarities, which have merely been fixed by 
long habit in successive generations. The earliest horse had five toes, 
and even the most recent fossil horse had three toes, of which the two 
lateral ones are still represented in the modern horse by the two sjilint 
bones. Yet if our horse develoj^s an extra toe it is pronounced a 
monstrosity. A more genuine monstrosity is the solid-hoofed pig, in 
which two toes have been merged into one. Another of the same kind 
is the solid shank bone of the ox, which consists of two bones united 
into one, but which are still found apart in the early fetus. Though 
originally acquired peculiarities, these now breed as invariably as 
color or form. 

Other monstrosities seem to have started in too close breeding, by 
which the powers of symmetrical development are impaired, just as 
the procreative power weakens under continuous breeding from the 
closest blood relations. A monstrosity consisting in the absence of 
an organ often depends on a simple lack of development, the result 
of disease or injury, as a young bone is permanently shortened by 
being broken across the soft part between the shaft and the end, the 
only iDart where increase in length can take i)lace. As the result of 
the injury the soft growing layer becomes prematurely hard and all 
increase in length at that end of the bone ceases. This will account 
for some cases of absence of eye, limb, or other organ. 

Sometimes a monstrosity is due to the inclosure of one ovum in 
another while the latter is still but a soft mass of cells and can easily 
close around the first. Here each ovum has an independent life, and 
they develop simultaneously, onlj^ the outer one having direct con- 
nection with the womb and being furnished with abundant nourish- 
ment advances most rapidly and perfectly, while the inclosed and 
starved ovum is dwarfed and imperfect often to the last degree. 

In many cases of excess of parts the extra part or member is mani- 
festly derived from the same ovum, and even the same part of the 
ovum, being merely the effect of a redundancy and vagary of growth. 
Such cases include most instances of extra digits or other organs, 
and even of double monsters, as manifested by the fact that such 
extra organs grow from the normal identical organs. Hence the 
extra digit is attached to the normal digit, the extra head to the one 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 181 

neck, and extra tail to the croup, extra teetli to the existing teeth, 
and even two similarly formed bodies are attached by some point 
common to both, as the navels, breastbones, back, etc. (PL XIX, 
figs. 1, 2, 3.) This shows that both have been derived from the same 
primitive laj'er of the embryo, which possessed the plastic power of 
bnilding up a given structure or set of organs. An inclosed ovum, 
on the other hand, has no such identity or similarity of structure to 
the part with which it is connected, showing an evident primary 
independence of both life and the power of building tissues and 
organs. The power of determining extra growth along a given 
natural line is very highly developed in the early embrj'o, and is 
equally manifest in the mature exam^jle of some of the lower forms 
of animal life. Thus a newt will grow a new tail when that member 
has been cut oif , and a starfish will develox) as many new starfishes 
as the pieces made by cutting up the original one. This power of 
growth in the embryo and in the lower forms of animals is compa- 
rable to the branching out again of a tree at the places from which 
branches have been lopped. The presence of this vegetable-like 
power of growth in the embryo accounts for most double monsters. 

The influence of disease in modifying growth in the early embryo, 
increasing, decreasing, distorting, etc., is well illustrated in the 
experiments of St. Hilaire and Valentine in varnishing, shaking, or 
otherwise disturbing the connections of eggs, and thereby producing 
monstrosities. One can easily understand how inflammations and 
other causes of disturbed circulation in the womb, fetal membranes, 
or fetus would cause similar distortions and variations in the growing 
offspring. It is doubtless largely in the same way that certain men- 
tal disturbances of a very susceptible dam affect the appearance of 
the progeny. The monstrosities which seriously interfere with 
calving are mainly such as consist in extra members or head, which 
can not be admitted into the passages at the same time; where some 
organ of the body has attained to extra size; where a blighted ovum 
has been inclosed in the body of a more perfect one, or where the 
body or limbs are so contracted or twisted that the calf must enter 
the passages doubled up. 

Treatment. — Extraction is sometimes possible by straightening the 
distorted members by the force of traction ; in other cases the muscles 
or tendons must be cut across on the side to which the body or limbs 
are bent to allow of such straightening. Thus, the muscles on the con- 
cave side of a wry neck or the cords behind the shank bones of a con- 
tracted limb may be cut to allow of these parts being brought into the 
passages, and there will still be wanting the methods demanded for 
bringing up missing limbs or head, for which see paragraphs below. 
In most cases of monstrosity by excess of overgrowth it becomes nec- 
essary to cut off the supernumerary or overdeveloped parts, and in 



182 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



ft 



Fore limbs 



Head 



this the same general principles must be followed as laid down iu 
"Embryotomy" (p. 198). 

TABLE OF WRONG PRESEXTATIOXS OF THE CALF. 
Simultaneous presentation of twins. 

Limbs curved at the !knee. Flexor tendons shortened. 

Limb crossed over the back of the neck. 

Limb bent back at the knee. 

Limb bent back from the shoulder. 

Head bent downward on the neck. 

Head and neck turned downward beneath the breast. 

Head turned to one side upon the side of the neck. 

Head and neck turned back on the side of the chest and 
abdomen. 

.Head turned upward and backward on the back. 

Hind limbs rotated outward. Toes and stifles turned out- 
ward. 

Hind limbs bent forward, their feet resting in the pelvis. 

Back of the calf turned to the right or left side. 

Back of the calf turned to the floor of the pelvis and udder_ 
fHind limb bent on itself at the hock. Hock and buttocks 
I present. 
Inind limb bent at the hips. Buttocks present. 

Back of calf turned to the right or left side. 

Back of calf turned to the floor of the pelvis and udder. 

Head up toward the spine, 



Hind limbs . 

Transerse _ . 
Inverted ... 






C oo 

Ph p. 



Hind limbs. 

Transverse . 
Inverted . . . 



Back and loins 
presented. 






Breast and abdo- 
men presented. 



^Position of calf vertical- 



Position of calf transverse 



JPosition of calf transverse 



croup toward udder. 
Head down toward udder, 

croui) toward spine. 
Head toward the right side, 

croup toward the left. 
Head toward the left side, 

croup toward the right. 
Head toward right side, 

croup toward left. 
Head toward left side, croiip 

toward right. 



These include all general presentations, yet other subsidiary ones 
will at once occur to the attentive reader. Thus, in each anterior or 
posterior presentation, with the back of the calf turned downward or 
to one side, the case may be complicated by the bending back of one 
or more members as a whole or at the joint just above the shank 
boues (knee or hock). So also in such anterior presentation the head 
may be turned back. 



HEAD AND FORE FEET PRESENTED — BACK TURNED TO ONE SIDE. 

The calf has a greater diameter from above down (spine to breast- 
bone) than it has from side to side, and the same is true of the passage 
of the i)elvis of the cow, which measures, on an average, Sj\ inches 
from above downward and T^V inches from side to side. Hence the 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 183 

calf passes most easily with its back upward, and when turned witli 
its back to one side calvini>: is alwaj-s tardy and may be dilficult or 
impossible. The obvious remedy is to rotate the calf on its own axis 
until its spine turns toward the spine of the cow. The operation is 
not difficult if the bodj' of the calf is not yet fixed in the passages. 
The presenting feet are twisted over each other in the direction 
desired, and this is continued until the head and spine have assumed 
their proper i)lace. If the body is firmly engaged in the passages the 
skin of the whole engaged i^ortion should be freely lubricated with 
lard, and the limbs and head twisted over each other as above. The 
limbs may be twisted by an assistant where the head is manipulated 
by the operator, Avho drags on the rope turned halfway round the 
limbs and assists in the rotation with his other hand in the i^assages. 

HEAD AND FORE FEET PRESENTED — BACK TURNED DOWN TOWARD 

THE UDDER. 

This position (PI. XYI, fig. 6) is unnatural, and the parturition is 
difficult for two reasons: First, the natural curvature of the fetus is 
opiiosed to the natural curvature of the passages; and, second, the 
thickest part of the body of the calf (the upper) is engaged in the 
narrowest part of the passage of the pelvis (the lower). Yet unless 
the calf is especially large and the pelvis of the cow narrow, parturi- 
tion may usually be accomplished in this way spoutaneousl}^ or with 
very little assistance in the way of traction on the limbs. If this can 
not be accomplished, two courses are open : First, to rotate the calf as 
when the back is turned to one side; and, second, to push back the 
presenting fore limbs and head and search for and bring up the hind 
limbs, when the presentation will be a natural posterior one. 

PRESENTATION OF THE HIND FEET WITH THE BACK TURNED TO ONE 

SIDE OR DOWNWARD. 

These are the exact counterparts of the two conditions last described, 
are beset with similar drawbacks, and are to be dealt with on the 
same general principles. (PI. XYII, fig. 4.) With the back turned 
to one side the body should be rotated until the back turns toward 
the spine of the dam, and with the back turned down it must be 
extracted in that position (care being taken that the feet do not per- 
forate the roof of the vagina) or it must be rotated on its own axis until 
the back turns upward, or the hind limbs must be pushed back and 
the fore limbs and head advanced, when the presentation will be a 
natural anterior one. 

IMPACTION OF TWINS IN THE PASSAGE. 

It is very i-are to have twins enter the jDassages together so as to 
become firmly impacted. As a rule each of the twins has its own sep- 
arate membranes, and as the water bags of the one will naturally first 
enter and be the first to burst, so the calf which occupied those mem- 



184 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

branes will be the first to enter the passage and the other will be , 
thereby excluded. When the membranes of both twins have burst 
without either calf having become engaged in the pelvis, it becomes 
possible for the fore legs of the one and the hind legs of the other to 
enter at one time, and if the straining is very violent they may become 
firmly impacted. (PL XVIII, fig. 1.) The condition may be recog- 
nized by the fact that two of the presenting feet have their fronts 
turned forward, while the two others have their fronts turned back- 
ward. If the four feet belonged to one natural calf, they would all 
have the same direction. By means of this difference in direction we 
can easily select the two feet of one calf, place running nooses upon 
them just above the hoofs or fetlocks, and have an assistant drag upon 
the ropes while the feet of the other calf are pushed back. In select- 
ing one of the twins to come first several considerations should have 
weight. The one that is most advanced in the x:)assage is, of course, 
the first choice. Though the fore feet of one are i^resented, yet if the 
head is not in place the calf presenting by its hind feet is to be chosen 
as being less likely to obstruct. Again, if for either calf on^limb onlj^ 
is presented and the other missing, the one presenting two feet should 
be selected to come first. As soon as the one calf has been advanced 
so as to occupy the pelvis the other will be crowded back so that it will 
not seriously obstruct. 

FORE LIMBS CURVED AT THE KNEE — LIMBS SPRAWLING OL&TWARD. 

In this case not only are the knees somewhat bent in a curve, but 
the calf has a position as if it rested on its breactbone, while the legs 
were draAvn apart and directed to the right and left. The shoulder 
blades being drawn outward from the chest and the elbows turned 
out, the muscles extending from the trunk to the limb are unduly 
stretched and keep the knees bent and the feet directed outward so 
as to press on the sides of the passages. Thej^ become retarded in 
their jjrogress as compared with the more rapidly advancing head, 
and may bruise or even lacerate the walls of the vagina. It would 
seem easy to rectify this by extending the legs, but the already tense 
and overstretched muscles operate against extension in the present 
position, and it is not easy to rotate the limbs so as to apply the shoul- 
der flat against the side of the chest. Under these circumstances a 
repellcr (PI. XX, fig. 7) may be planted in the breast, and the body 
of the calf pushed backward into the womb, when the limbs will 
extend easily under traction and the presentation becomes at once 
natural. 

PORE LIMBS CURVED AT KNEE — FLEXOR TENDONS SHORTENED. 

In this case the feet will press against the floor of the pelvis though 
the limb has no outward direction, and the shoulder meanwhile 
presses against the roof of the same passage. Unless the knees can 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKATIVE OEGANS. 185 

be sufficiently straightened by force a knife must be emploj^ed to cut 
across the cords behind the knee, when the limbs may be straightened 
sufficiently. 

FORE LIMBS FLEXED AT KNEE — FLEXOR TENDONS UNSHORTENED. 

This is mostly seen in cases in which the bod}' of the calf is in the 
proper position, its back being turned i\d toward the back of the dam, 
and in cows with a drooping abdomen. The feet have been supposed 
to catch beneath the brim of the pelvis, and being retarded while the 
head advances into the passages, they get bent at the knee and the 
nose and knees present. (PL XYI, fig. 2.) The calf, however, is not 
an inanimate body advanced by the mere contraction of the womb, 
but it moves its limbs freely under the stimulus of the unwonted com- 
pression, and in moving the feet as they are advanced they slij) down 
over the pelvic brim and finding no other firm support they bend back 
until, under the impulsion, they can no longer straighten out again. 
The knees, therefore, advance with the neck and head, but the feet 
remain bent back. The result is that the upper x)art of the limb is 
also flexed, and the shoulder blade and arm bone with their masses of 
investing muscles are carried backward and applied on the side of the 
chest, greatly increasing the bulk of this already bulky part. As the 
elbow is carried back on the side of the chest, the forearm from elbow 
to knee further increases the superadded masses of the shoulder and 
renders it difficult or impossible to drag the mass through the pas- 
sages. When the fore limbs are fully extended, on the contrary, the 
shoulder blade is extended forward on the smallest and narrowest part 
of the chest, the arm bone with its muscles is in great part applied 
against the side of the back pai't of the neck, and the forearm is con- 
tinued forward by the side of the head so that the nose lies between 
the knees. In this natural presentation the presenting body of the 
calf forms a long wedge or cone, the increase of which is slow and 
gradual until it reaches the middle of the chest. 

The difficulty of extending the fore limbs Avlll be in proportion to 
the advance of the head through the pelvic cavity. In the early stage 
all that is necessary may be to introduce the oiled hand, the left one 
for the right leg or the right one for the left, and passing the hand from 
the knee on to the foot to seize the foot in the palm, bend it forcibly on 
the fetlock, and lift it up over the brim of the pelvis, the knee being, 
of course, pressed upward against the spine. As soon as the foot has 
been raised above the brim of the T)elvis (into the passage) the limb 
can be straightened out with the greatest ease. 

When, how^ever, the shoulders are already engaging in the pelvis 
the feet can not thus be lifted up, and to gain room a repeller (PI. XX, 
fig. 7) must be used to push back the body of the calf. This is an 
instrument with a long straight stem, divided at the end into two short 
branches (3 to 3 inches long) united to the stem b}" hinges so that they 



186 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

can be brought into a line with the stem for introduction into tlie womb 
and then spread to be implanted in the breast. In the absence of a 
repeller a smooth, round fork handle may be used, the prongs having 
been removed from the other end. A third device is to have an assist- 
ant strip his arm to tlie shoulder and, standing back to back with the 
operator, to introduce liis right arm into tlie passages along with the 
operator's left (or rice versa) and push back the body of the calf while 
the operator seeks to bring up a limb. The repeller or staff having 
been planted safely in the breast of the calf, an assistant ijuslies upon 
it in a direction either forward or slightly upward, so as not only to fol- 
low the natural curve of the body and favor its turning in the line of 
that curve within the womb, but also to carry the shoulders u^Dward 
toward the spine and secure more room for bringing up the missing 
feet. It is good policy to first put a halter (PI. XXI, figs. 4a and 4Z>) on 
the head or a noose (PI. XXI, fig. 3) on the lower jaw and a rojie round 
each limb at the knee, so as to provide against the loss of any of these 
IDarts when the bodj^ is pushed back into the womb. This offers the 
further advantage that by dragging upon these ropes the body can be 
advanced in the passage until the foot is reached, when the rope must 
be slackened and the repeller used to secure room for bringing up the 
foot. If the cow is lying, the operator should first secure the foot on 
the upper side and then, if necessary, turn the cow on its opposite side 
so as to bring up the other. 

In using the instruments some precautions are demanded. Thej^ 
must be invariably warmed before they are introduced, and they should 
be smeared v*ith lard or oil to make them pass easily and without fric- 
tion. The assistant who is jpushing on the instrument must be warned 
to stop if at any time resistance gives way. This maj^ mean the turn- 
ing of the fetus, in which case the object of repulsion has been accom- 
plished; but much more probably it implies the displacement of the 
instrument from the body of the fetus, and unguarded pressure may 
drive it through the walls of the vromb. 

"When the calf enters the passage with its back turned down toward 
the belly and udder, the bending back of the fore limbs is rare, prob- 
ably because the feet can find a straighter and more uniform surface 
of resistance in the upper wall of the womb and the backbone, and 
do not slide over a crest into an open cavitj'- as they do over the brim 
of the pelvis. The weight of the calf, too, gravitating downward, 
leaves more room for the straightening of the bent limbs, so that the 
desired relief is much more easily secured. The manipulation is the 
same in principle, only one must add the precaution of a steady trac- 
tion on the feet in extraction, lest, owing to the adverse curvature of 
the fetus, the hoofs be suddenly forced through the roof of the vagina, 
and, perhaps, the rectum as well, during a specially i3owerf ul labor 
pain. 

When the back of the calf is turned to the right side or tlic left the 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OEGANS. 187 

main difference is tliat in addition to straightening tlie limbs the fetus 
must be rotated to turn its back upward before extraction is attempted. 
In tliis case, too, it msiy be difficult to bring up and straighten the 
lower of the two limbs until the body has been rotated into its proper 
position. Cord the upper straightened limb and head, then rotate the 
body and search for the second missing limb. 

FORE LIMBS BENT BACK FROM THE SHOULDERS. 

This is an exaggeration of the condition just named, and is much 
more difficult to remedj'-, owing to the distance and inaccessibility of 
the missing limb. It usually happens with the proper i)Osition of the 
bodj^, the back of the calf being turned toward the back of the mother. 
The head presents in the passage and may even protrude from the 
vulva during an active labor pain, but it starts back like a spring 
when the straining ceases. Examination with the oiled hand in the 
intervals between the pains fails to detect the missing limbs. (PI. 
X^n[, fig. 1.) If, however, the hand can be introduced during a pain 
it may be possible to reach the elbow or upper part of the forearm. 
In the absence of a pain a halter or noose on the head may be used to 
advance the whole body until tlie forearm can be seized just below 
the elbow. This being firmly held and the head or bodj^ pushed back 
into the womb, room may be secured for bringing up the knee. Tlje 
forearm is used as a lever, its upper jiart being strongly forced back 
while its lower part is pressed forward. If a pain supervenes the 
hold must be retained, and whatever gain has been made must be 
held if possible. Then during the next jDain, by pushing back the 
body and continuing to operate the forearm as a lever, a still farther 
advance may be made. As the knee is brought uj) in this waj^, the 
hand is slid down from the elbow toward the knee, which is finally 
brought up over the brim of the pelvis and into the passage. It is 
now corded at the knee, and the subsequent procedure is as described 
in the last article. In a large, roomy cow with a small calf the latter 
may pass with one or both fore legs bent back, but this is a very 
exceptional case, and, as early assistance is the most successful, there 
should never be delay in hope of such a result. 

ONE FORE LIMB CROSSED OVER THE BACK OF THE NECK. 

This is a rare obstacle to calving, but one that is not altogether 
unknown. The hand introduced into the passage feels the head and 
one forefoot, and farther back on the same side the other foot, from 
which the limb can be traced obliquely across the back of the neck. 
(PL XVI, fig. 3. ) This foot, projecting transversely, is liable to bruise 
or tear the vagina. If still deeply engaged in the vagina, it may be 
seized and pushed across to the opposite side of the neck, when the 
presentation will be natural. 



188 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

HEAD BENT DOWN BENEATH THE NECK. 

In this case, with drooping belly and womb allowing the brim of the 
pelvis to form a ridge, the advancing calf, having unduly depressed 
its nose, strikes it on the brim of the i)elvis, and the neck advancing, 
the head is bent back and the i^oU and ears either enter the pelvis or 
strike against its brim. The two forefeet present, but they make no 
progress, and the oiled hand introduced can detect no head until the 
poll is felt at the entrance of the jjelvis, between the forearms. The 
two forefeet must be fixed with running nooses and dragged on mod- 
erately while the oiled hand seeks to bring up the head. The hand 
is slid down over the forehead and brim of the pelvis until the nose is 
reached, when it is passed into the mouth, the muzzle resting in the 
palm of the hand. The legs are now pushed ux^on, and in the space 
thus gained the muzzle is drawn up so as to enter it into the pelvis. 
In doing this the operator must carefully see that the mouth does not 
drop open so that the sharp front teeth cut through the floor of the 
womb. Should this danger threaten, the hand should be made to 
cover the lower jaw as well. The lessened security of the hold is 
more than compensated by the safety of the procedure. With the 
nose in the pelvis, it has only to be drawn forward and the parturition 
is natural. 

HEAD BENT DOWN BENEATH THE BEEAST. 

This is an exaggerated condition of that last named. The head, 
arrested by the brim of the pelvis and already bent back on the neck, 
is pressed farther with each successive throe until it has passed 
between the fore legs and lodges beneath the breast bone. (PL XVI, 
fig. 4.) On examination, the narrow upper border of the neck is felt 
between the forearms, but as a rule the head is out of reach below. 
Keeping the hand on the neck and dragging on the feet by the aid of 
ropes, the hand may come to touch and seize the ear, or, still better, 
one or two fingers ma}^ be inserted into the orbit of the eye. 

Then, in i^ushing back upon the limbs, with or without the aid of a 
repeller applied against the shoulder, sj)ace maj^ be secured to draw 
the head into a vertical position, and even to slip down the hand so 
as to seize the nose. Should it prove impossible to draw \\p the head 
with the unassisted fingers, a blunt hook (PI. XXI, fig. 6) may be 
inserted into the orbit, on wiiich an assistant may drag while another 
j)ushes upon the limbs or repeller. Meanwhile the operator may 
secure an opportunity of reaching and seizing the nose or of passing 
a blunt hook into the angle of the mouth. Success will be better 
assured if two hooks (PL XXI, fig. 7) are inserted in the two orbits, 
so as to draw up the head more evenly. In other cases a noose may 
be i)laccd on the upper jaw, or even around both jaws, and traction 
made upon this and on the hooks in the orbits wliile the legs are 
pushed back, and while the operator pushes back on the poll or fore- 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 189 

head. In still more difficult cases, in which even the orbits can not 
be reached, a sharp hook on the end of a straight iron rod (PI. XX, 
fig. 2) may be inserted over the loAver jaw as far forward as it can be 
reached, and by dragging upon this while the body is pushed back 
the head will be brought up sufficiently to allow the operator to reach 
the orbit or nose. If even the jaw can not be reached, the hook may 
be inserted in the neck as near to the head as possible and traction 
employed so as to bring the head within reach. 

In all such cases the cow's head should be turned dosvnhill, and in 
case of special difficulty she should be turned on her back and held 
there until the head is secured. In old standing cases, with the womb 
closely clasping the body of the calf, relaxation may be sought bj^ the 
use of chloroform or a full dose of chloral hydrate — 2 ounces; and the 
free injection of warm water into the womb will also be useful. 

HEAD TURNED BACK ON THE SHOULDER. 

With a natural anterior presentation this may happen because of 
the imperfect dilation of the mouth of the womb. Under the throes 
of the mother the fore feet pass through the narrow opening into the 
vagina, while the nose, striking against it and unable to enter, is 
pressed backward into the womb and turns aside on the right or left 
shoulder. The broad muzzle of the calf forms an especial obstacle to 
entrance and favors this deviation of the head. The worst form of 
this deviation is the old standing one with shortening of the muscles 
of the neck on that side, and oftentimes distortion of the face and 
neck bones, as noticed under "Monstrosities" (p. 179). 

When the head is bent on the shoulder the feet appear in the natural 
way, but no j)rogress is made, and examination reveals the absence of 
the nose from between the knees, and farther back, from above and 
between the elbows, a smooth rounded mass is felt extending to the 
right or left, which further examination will identify with the neck. 
Following the upijer border of this the hand reaches the crown of the 
head with the ears, and still farther the eyes, or even in a small calf 
the nose. 

As the bulky head of the calf can not be extracted along with the 
shoulders, it becomes necessary to push back the hody of the fetus and 
straighten out the head and neck. The cow should be laid with its 
head downhill and with that side up toward which the head is turned. 
If the throes are very violent, or the womb strongly contracted on the 
calf, it may be best to seek relaxation by giving chloroform, or 2 ounces 
of laudanum, or 2 ounces chloral hydrate. If the calf or the passages 
are dry, sweet oil may be injected, or the whole may be liberally 
smeared with fresh lard. In the absence of these, warm water ren- 
dered slightly slippery by Castile soap may be injected into the womb 
in quantity. Ropes with running nooses are placed on the presenting 
feet and the oiled hand introduced to find the head. If, now, the fin- 



190 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

gers can be passed inside the lower jawbone, and drag the liead npward 
and toward the passage, it unwinds the spiral turn given to the neck 
in bending back, and greatly improves the chances of bringing forward 
the nose. If, at first, or if now, the lower jaw can be reached, a noose 
should be placed around it behind the incisor teeth and traction made 
upon this, so that the head may continue to be turned, forehead up, 
toward the spine and jaws down, thereby continuing to undo the 
screw-like curve of the neck. If, on the contrary, the nose is dragged 
upon by a cord passing over the upper border of the neck, the screw- 
like twist is increased and the resistance of the bones and joints of the 
neck prevents any straightening of the head. As soon as the lower 
jaw has been seized by the hand or noose, a repeller (PI. XX, fig. 7), 
planted on the inside of the elbow or shoulder most distant from the 
head, should be used to push back the body and turn it in the womb, 
so that the head may be brought nearer to the outlet. In this way 
the head can usually be brought into position and the further course 
of delivery will be natural. 

But sometimes the lower jaw can not be reached with the hand, and 
then the orbit or, less desirably, the car, may be availed of. The ear 
may be pulled by the hand, and by the aid of the repeller on the other 
shoulder the calf may be so turned that the lower jaw may be reached 
and availed of. Better still, a clamp (PI. XVIII, figs. 3 and 4) is firmly 
fixed on the ear and pulled by a rope, while the repeller is used on the 
opposite shoulder, and the hand of the operator pulls on the lower 
border of the neck and lifts it toward the other side. To pull on the 
upper border of the neck is to increase the spiral twist, while to raise 
the lower border is to undo it. If the outer orbit can be reached, the 
fingers may be inserted into it so as to employ traction, or a blunt fin- 
ger hook (PL XXI, fig, 8) may be used, or a hook with a rope attached, 
or, finally, a hook on the end of a long staff. Then , with the assistance 
of the rei)eller, the body may be so turned and the head advanced that 
the lower jaw may be reached and availed of. 

In case not even the ears nor orbit can be reached, a cord should be 
passed around the neck of the calf as near to the head as possible, 
and traction made upon that w^hile the opposite shoulder is pushed 
toward the opposite side by the repeller, assisted by the hand drag- 
ging on the lower border of the neck. To aid the hand in passing a 
rope round the neck a cord carrier (PI. XXI, fig. 5) is in use. It fails, 
howevei-, to help us in the most difScult part of the operation — the 
passing of the cord down on the deep or farthest side of the neck — and 
to remedy this I have devised a cord carrier, furnished with a ring 
at the end, a joint G or 8 inches from the end, and another ring on the 
handle, close to this joint. (PI. XX, fig. 4. ) A cord is passed through 
both rings and a knot tied on its end, just back of the terminal ring. 
The instrument, straightened out, is inserted until it reaches just 
beyond the upper border of the neck, when, by dragging on the cord 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 191 

tlie movable segment is bent down on tlie farther side of the nock, 
and is pushed on until it can be felt at its lower border. The hand 
now seizes the knotted end of the cord beneath the lower border of 
the neck and pulls it through while the carrier is withdrawn, the cord 
sliding through its rings. The cord, pushed np as near to the head as 
possible, is furnished with a running noose by tying the knotted end 
round the other, or, bettei', the two ends are twisted around each other 
so as to give a firm hold on the neck without dangerouslj" comj)ress- 
ing the blood vessels. By i^ushing on the opposite shoulder with 
the repeller, and assisting with the hand on shoulder, breastbone, or 
lower border of the neck, such a change of position will be secured 
as will speedily bring the head within reach. Afterwards proceed as 
described above. 

These cases are alwaj's trying, but it is very rarely necessary to 
resort to embryotomy. When absolutely required, first remove one 
fore limb, and then, if still unsuccessful, the other, after which the 
head can easily be secured. (See "Embryotomy," p. 198.) 

HEAD TURNED UPWARD AND BACKWARD 

In this case the face rests upon the sj)ine ; the fore feet appear alone 
in the passage, but fail to advance, and on examination the rounded 
inferior border of the neck can be felt, extending upward and back- 
ward beneath the spine of the dam, and if the calf is not too large the 
hand may reach the lower jaw or even the muzzle. (PL XVI, fig. 5.) 
A repeller is planted in the breast and the body of the calf pushed 
backward and downward so as to make room and bring the head 
nearer to the passage; or in some cases the body may be pushed 
back sufficiently by the use of the fore limbs alone. Meanwhile the 
head is seized by the ear or the eye socket, or, if it can be reached, 
by the lower jaw, and pulled downward into position as space is 
secured for it. If the hand alone is insufficient, the blunt hooks may 
be inserted in the orbits or in the angle of the mouth, or a noose may 
be placed on the lower jav^-, and by traction the head will be easily 
advanced. In case of a large fetus, the head of which is beyond 
reach, even when traction is made on the limbs, a rope may be passed 
around the neck and piilled, while the breastbone is pressed down- 
ward and backward by the repeller, and soon the change of position 
will bring the orbit or lower jaw within reach. With the above posi- 
tion the standing position is most favorable for success. But if the 
calf is placed with its back down toward the udder, and if the head 
is bent down under the brim of the pelvis, the best position for the 
cow is on her back, with her head dov>'nhill. 

In neglected cases, with death and putrefaction of the fetus and 
dryness of the passages, it may be necessary to extract in pieces. (See 
"Embryotomy," p. 198.) 



192 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

OUTWARD DIRECTION OF THE STIFLES — ABDUCTION OF HIND LIMBS. 

As an obstacle to parturition, this is rare in cows. It is most likely 
to take place in cows witli narrow hip bones, and when the service 
has been made by a bull having great breadth across the quarter. 
The calf, taking after the sire, j)resents an obstacle to calving in the 
breadth of its quarters, and if at the same time the toes and stifles 
are turned excessively outward and the hocks inward the combined 
breadth of the hip bones above and the stifles below may be so great 
that the pelvis will not easily admit them. After the fore feet, head, 
and shoulders have all passed out through the vulva, further progress 
suddenly and unaccountably^ ceases, and some dragging on the parts 
already delivered does not serve to bring away the hind parts. The 
oiled hand introduced along the side of the calf will discover the 
obstacle in the stifle joints turned directly outward and projecting 
on each side beyond the bones which circumscribe laterally the front 
entrance of the pelvis. The evident need is to turn the stifles inward, 
and this may be attempted by the hand introduced by the side of the 
calf, which is meanwhile rotated gently on its own axis to favor the 
change of position. To correct the deviation of the hind limb is, how- 
ever, very diflicult, as the limbs themselves are out of reach and can 
not be used as levers to assist. If nothing can be done by pushing 
back the body of the calf and rotating it and by pressure by the hand 
in the passages, the only resort appears to be to skin the calf from 
the shoulder back, cut it in two as far back as can be reached, then 
push the buttocks well forward into the womb, bring up the hind 
feet, and so deliver. 

THE HIND LIMBS EXCESSIVELY BENT ON THE BODY AND ENGAGED IN 

THE PELVIS. 

In this case the presentation is aj^parently a normal anterior one; 
fore limbs and head advance naturally and the parturition proceeds 
until half the chest has passed through the external passages, when 
suddenly ijrogress ceases and no force will secure farther advance. 
An examination with oiled hand detects the presence in the passages 
of the hind feet and usuallj'^ the hind legs up to above the hocks. 
(PL XYII, fig. 1.) 

The indications for treatment are to return the hind limbs into the 
body of the womb. If they have not advanced too far into the i^elvis, 
this may be done as follows: A rope with running noose is passed over 
each hind foot and drawn tight around the lower part of the hock; 
the ropes are then passed through the two rings in the small end of 
the rotating instrument (PL XX, fig. 5) which is slid into the passages 
until it reaches the hocks, when the ropes, drawn tight, are tied round 
the handle of the instrument. Then in the intervals between the 
pains the hocks are pushed forcibly back into the womb. If by this 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 193^ 

means flexion can be eirectcd in hocks and stifles, success will follow; 
tlie hind feet will pass into the womb and clear of the brim of the 
pelvis, and the body may now be advanced without hindrance, the 
hind limbs falling into place when the hip joints are extended. At 
the same time tlie pressure ui^on hind limbs must not be relaxed until 
the buttocks are engaged in the pelvis, as otherwise the feet may 
again get over the brim and arrest the progress of delivery. 

When the hind limbs are already so jammed into the pelvis that it 
is impossible to return them, the calf must be sacrificed to save the 
mother. Cords with running nooses are first put on the two hind feet. 
The body must be skinned from the shoulders back as far as can be^ 
reached, and is to be then cut in two, if possible, back of the last rib. 
The remainder of the trunk is now pushed back into the body of the 
womb, and by traction upon the cords the hind feet are brought up 
into tlie passages, and the extraction will be comxjaratively easy. 

HIND PRESENTATION WITH ONE OR BOTH LEGS BENT AT THE HOCK. 

After the bursting of the w^ater bags, though labor pains continue^ 
no part of the fetus appears at the vulva unless it be the end of the 
tail. On examination the buttocks are felt wedged against the spine 
at the entrance of the pelvis, and beneath them the bent hock joints 
resting on the brim of the pelvis below. (PL XVII, fig. 3.) The calf 
had been caught by the labor pains while the limb was bent beneath 
it, and has been jammed into or against the rim of the pelvis so that 
extension of the limb became impossible. With the thigh bent on the 
flank, the leg on the thigh, and the shank on the leg, and all at once 
wedged into the passage, delivery is practically' impossible. 

The obvious remedj' is to push the croup upward and forward and 
extend the hind legs, and in the early stages this can usually be accom- 
plished in the cow. A repeller (PI. XX, fig. 7) is planted across the 
thighs and j)ointed upward toward the spine of the cow, and pushed 
forcibly in this direction during the intervals between labor pains. 
Meanwhile the oiled hand seizes the shank just below the hock and 
uses it as a lever, pushing back the body and drawing forward the 
foot, thus effectually seconding the action of the repeller. Soon a 
distinct gain is manifest, and as soon as the foot can be reached it is 
bent back strongly at the fetlock, held in the palm of the hand and 
pulled up, while the repeller, pressing on the buttocks, assists to make 
room for it. In this way the foot may be brought safely and easily 
over the brim of the pelvis without any risk of laceration of the womb 
by the foot. After the foot has been lifted over the brim, the whole 
limb can be promptly and easily extended. In cases presenting 
special difficulty in raising the foot over the brim, heli3 may be had 
by traction on a roj)e passed around in front of the hock, and later 
still by a rope with a noose fastened to the pastern. In the worst 
8267—04 13 



19-4 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

cases, with the buttocks and hocks ^yedged deeply into the passages, 
it may prove difficult or impossible to push the buttocks back into the 
abdomen, and in such a case the extension of the hind limb is practi- 
cally' impossible ^^^thout mutilation. In some roomy cows a calf may 
be dragged through the passages by ropes attached to the beiit hocks, 
but even when this is possible there is great risk of laceration of the 
floor of the vagina by the feet. The next resort is to cut the ham- 
string just above the iDoint of the hock and the tendon on the front of 
the limb {flexor metatarsi) just above the hock, and even the sinews 
behind the shank bone just below the hock. This allows the stifle 
and hock to move independently of each other, the one undergoing 
extension without entailing the extension of the other; it also allows 
both joints to flex completely, so that the impacted mass can pass 
through a narrower channel. If now, by dragging on the hocks and 
operating with the repeller on the buttocks, the latter can be tilted 
foiward sufficientlj^ to allow of the extension of the stifle, the jam will 
be at once overcome, and the calf may be extracted with the hock 
bent, but the stifle extended. If even this can not be accomiDlished, 
it may now be possible to extract the whole mass with both hocks and 
stifles fully bent. To attempt this, traction may be made on the rope 
around the hocks and on a sharp hook (PI. XX, fig. 2) passed forward 
between the thighs and hooked on to the brim of the pelvis. Every- 
thing else failing, the offending limb or limbs maj'' be cut off at the 
hip joint and extracted, after which extraction may proceed bj^ drag- 
ging on the remaining limb, or by hooks on the hip bones. Very little 
is to be gained by cutting off the limb at the hock, and the stifle is 
less accessible than the hij), and amputation at the stifle gives much 
poorer results. 

HIXD LIMBS BEXT FORWARD FROM THE HIP — BREECH PRESENTATION. 

This is an exaggeration of the condition last described, only the 
hocks and stifles are fulb' extended and the whole limb carried for- 
ward beneath the belly. (PI. XYII, fig. 2.) The water bags aijpear 
and burst, but nothing presents unless it may be the tail. Examina- 
tion in this case detects the outline of tlie buttocks, with the tail and 
anus at its upper part. 

The remedy, as in the case last described, consists in pushing the 
buttock upward and forward with a rejieller, the cow being kept stand- 
ing and headed down hill until the thigh bone can be reached and 
used as a lever. Its upper end is pushed forward and its lower end 
raised until, the joints becoming fully flexed, the point of the hock 
can be raised above the brim of the pelvis. If necessarj^ a noose may 
be passed around the leg as far down toward the hock as possible and 
pulled on forcibly, -vAhile the hand presses forwai-d strongly on the 
back of the leg above. When both hocks liaA'e been lodged above the 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 195 

brim of the pelvis the further procedure is as described under the last 
heading. 

If, however, the case is advanced and tlie buttocks wedged firmly 
into tlie passages, it may be impossible to safely push the fetus back 
into the womb, and the calf must either be dragged through the pas- 
sage as it is or the limbs or the pelvis must be cut off. To success- 
fully extract with a breech presentation the cow must be large and 
rooraj^ and the calf not too large. The first step in this case is to 
sejiarate the pelvic bones on the two sides by cutting from before 
backward, exactly in the median line below and where the thighs 
come together above. This may be done with a strong embrj^otomy 
knife, but is most easily accomplished with the long embryotome. 
(PL XX, fig. 3.) The form which I have designed (PI. XX, fig. 1), 
with a short cutting branch Jointed to the main stem, is to be pre- 
ferred, as the sliort cutting piece maj^ be folded on the main stem so 
that its cutting edge will be covered, and it can be introduced and 
extracted without danger. This is pushed forward beneath the calf's 
belly, and the cutting arm opened and inserted in front of the brim 
of the x)elvis and pulled forciby back through the whole length of the 
pelvic bones. The divided edges are now made to overlap each other 
and the breadth of the haunch is materially reduced. One end of the 
cord may then be passed forward by means of a cord carrier (PI. XXI, 
fig. 5) on the inner side of one thigh until it can be seized at the stifle 
hy the hand passed forward on the outer side of that thigh. This end 
is now pulled back through the vagina, and the other end passed 
through the cord carrier and passed forward on the inner side of the 
other thigh until it can be seized at the stifle by the hand passed for- 
ward outside that thigh. This end is drawn back throngh the vagina 
like the first, and is tied around the other so as to form a running 
noose. The rope is now drawn through the ring until it forms a tight 
loop, encircling the belly just in front of the hind limbs. On this 
strong traction can be made Avithout interfering with the full flexion 
of the limbs on the bod}^ and if the case is a suitable one, and the 
body of the fetus and the passages are both well lubricated with oil or 
lard, a successful parturition may be accomiilished. A less desirable 
method is to put a rope around one thigh or a rope around each and 
drag upon these, but manifestly the strain is not so directly on the 
spine, and the limbs may be somewhat hampered in flexion. 

This method being inapplicable, the next resort is to cut off one or 
both hind limbs at the hip joint. Free incisions are made on the side 
of the haunch so as to expose the hip joint, and the muscles are cut away 
from the head of the thigh bone down to its narrow neck, around which 
a rope is passed and firmly fixed with a running noose. The joint is 
now cut into all around, and while traction is made on the cord the 
knife is inserted into the inner side of the joint and the round ligament 
severed. The cord may now be dragged upon forcibly, and the muscles 



196 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and otlier parts cut through as they are drawn tense, until finally the 
whole member has been extracted. Traction on the rope round the 
other thigh will now suffice to extract, in the majority of cases, but if it 
should fail the other limb may be cut off in the same manner, and then 
hooks inserted in front of the brim of the pelvis or in the openings in 
the bones of its floor {obtwator foramina) will give sufficient iiurchase 
for extraction. Another method is to insert a knife between the bone 
of the rump {sacrum) and the hip bone and sever their connections; 
then cut through the joint {sym2^Jiysis) between the two hip bones in the 
median line of the floor of the pelvis, and then with a hook in the open- 
ing on the pelvic bones {obturator for aTnen) to drag upon the limb and 
cut the tense soft parts until the limb is freed and extracted. 

PRESENTATION OF THE BACK. 

In this presentation straining may be active, but after the rupture of 
the water bags no progress is made, and the hand introduced vrill 
recognize the back with its row of spinous processes and the springing 
ribs at each side pressed against the entrance to the pelvis. (PI. XVII, 
fig. 6.) The presence or absence of tlie ribs will show whether it is 
the region of the chest or the loins. By feeling along the line of spines 
until the ribs are met with we shall learn that the head lies in that 
direction. If, on the contrary, we follow the ribs until they disapjiear, 
and a blank space is succeeded by hip bones, it shows that we are 
approaching the tail. The head may be turned upward, downward, 
to the right side, or to the left. 

The object must be to turn the fetus so that one extremity or the 
other can enter the passage, and the choice of which end to bring for- 
ward will depend on various considerations. If one end is much nearer 
the outlet than the other, that would naturally be selected for extrac- 
tion, but if both ends are equidistant the choice would fall on the hind 
end, as having only the two limbs to deal with, without any risk of 
complication from the head. When the head is turned upward and 
forward it will usually be preferable to bring up the hind limb, since, 
owing to the drooping of the womb into the abdomen, rotation of the 
fetus will usually be easier in that direction, and if successful the 
resulting position will be a natural jjosterior presentation, with the 
back of the calf turned toward the rump of the cow. Similarly with 
the croup turned upward and forward, that should be pushed on for- 
ward, and if the fore feet and head can be secured it will be a natural 
anterior presentation, with the back of the calf turned upward toward 
the rump of the cow. 

The womb should be injected with warm water or oil, and the turn- 
ing of the calf will demand the combined action of the repeller and the 
hand, but in all such cases the operator has an advantage that the 
body of the fetus is wholly within the body of the womb, and there- 
fore movable with comparative ease. No part is wedged into the 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 197 

pelvic passages as a complication. The general principles are the 
same as in faulty presentation fore and hind, and no time should be 
lost in making the manii:)ulations necessary to bring the feet into tlie 
pelvis, lest they get in bent or otherwise displaced and add unneces- 
sary complications. • 

With a transverse direction of the calf, the head l)eing turned to 
one side, the pressure must be directed laterall}', so that the body will 
glide around on one side of the womb, and the extremities when 
reached must be x^romptly seized and brought into the passages. 
Sometimes a fortunate struggle of a live fetus will greatly aid in rec- 
tifying the position. 

BREAST AND ABDOMEN PRESENTED— ALL FOUR FEET IN THE PASSAGES. 

In this form the calf lies across the womb with its roached-back 
turned forward and its belly toward the pelvis. All four feet maybe 
extended and engaged in the passages, or one or more may be bent 
on themselves so as to lie in front of the pelvis. The head, too, may 
usually be felt on the right side or the left, and if detected it serves 
to identify the exact position of the fetus. The position may further 
be decided upon by examination of the feet and limbs. With the 
limbs extended the front of the hoofs and the convex aspect of the 
bent pasterns and fetlocks will look toward that flank in which lie the 
head and shoulders. On examination still higher the smooth, even 
outline of the knee and its bend, looking toward the hind parts, char- 
acterize the fore limb, while the sharp prominence of the point of the 
hock and the bend on the opposite side of the joint, looking toward 
the head, indicate the hind limb. (PI. XVII, fig. 5.) 

The remedy for this condition is to be sought in repelling into the 
womb those limbs that are least eligible for extraction, and bringing 
into the passages the most eligible extremities. The most eligible will 
usually be those which project farthest into the passages, indicating 
the nearer i^roximity of that end of the calf. An exception may, 
however, be made in favor of that extremity which will give the most 
natural presentation. Thus if, owing to obliquity in the position of 
the fetus, the hind extremities promised a presentation with the back 
of the fetiis turned down toward the udder, and the anterior extremi- 
ties one with the back turned up toward the spine, the latter should 
be selected. Again, if the choice for the two extremities is evenly 
balanced, the hind may be chosen as offering less risk of complication, 
there being no head to get displaced. 

Treatment. — The first step in the treatment is to place a running 
noose on each of the four feet, marking those of the fore limbs to dis- 
tinguish them from those of the hind. In case it is proposed to bring 
the anterior extremities into the passage, a noose should also be placed 
on the lower jaw. Then run the ropes attached to the two feet that are 
to be pushed back through the ring of a cord carrier (PI. XXI, fig. 5), 
passing the rings down to the feet, and by the aid of the carrier push 



198 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

them well back into the vronib and hold them there. Meanwhile drag 
upon the ropes attached to the two other feet so as to bring theDi into 
the passage (or in case of the anterior extremity on the two foot ropes 
and the head one). The other feet must be i)ushed back into the 
woDib until ,the body of the calf is inUy engaged in the i^assages. 
After this they can no longer find an entrance, but must follow as the 
bod}^ escapes. 

NEGLECTED AND AGGRAVATED CASES. 

In laying down the above rules for giving assistance in critical cases 
of calving it is not intimated that all cases and stages can be success- 
fully dealt with. Too often assistance is not sought for many hours 
or even days after labor pains and the escape of the waters intimate 
the danger of delay, and not seldom the long delay has been filled up 
with unintelligent and injurious attempts at rendering assistance, vio- 
lent pulling when resistance is insurmountable without change of posi- 
tion, injuries to the vagina and womb by ill-considered but too forcibly 
executed attempts to change the position, the repeated and long-con- 
tinued contact with rough hands and rougher ropes and hooks, the 
gashes with knives and lacerations with instruments in ignorant hands, 
the infecting material introduced on filthy hands and instruments, and 
the septic inflammations started in the now drj^ and tender passages 
and womb, and not infrequently the death, putrefaction, and bloating 
of the calf in the womb, rendering the case extremely uni3romising, and 
making it im^Dossible to applj^ successfully many of the measures above 
recommended. The labor pains of the cow mny have practically ceased 
from exhaustion; the passages of the vagina may be so dry, tender, 
friable, red, and swollen that it requires considerable effort even to 
pass the oiled hand through them, and the extraction of the calf or 
any portion of it through such a channel seems a hopeless task ; the 
womb may be equally' dry and inflamed and swollen, so that its lining 
membrane or even its entire thickness is easily torn; the fetal mem- 
branes have lost their natural unctuous and slippery character, and 
cling firmly to the dry walls of the womb, to the drj^ skin of the calf, 
or to the hands of the operator ; the dead and putref jdng calf ma}' be 
so bloated with gases that the womb has been overdistended by its 
presence, and the two adhere so closelj' that the motion of the one on 
the other is practically impossible. In other cases reckless attempts 
to cut the calf in pieces have left raw surfaces with jjrojecting bones 
which dangerousl}^ scratch and tear the womb and passages. 

In many cases the extreme resort must be had of cutting the fetus 
to pieces (embryotomy), or the still more redoubtable one of Ctesarean 
section (extraction through the flank). 

DISSECTION OF THE LTNBORN CALF (EMBRYOTOMY). 

In some cases the dissection of the calf is the only feasible means 
of delivering it through the natural passages; and while it is espe- 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 199 

ciall}' applicable to the dead calf, it is also on occasions called for in 
the case of the living. As a rule, the living calf should be preserved, 
if possible, but if this threatens to entail the death of the cow it is 
only in the case of offspring- of rare value that its presentation is to 
be preferred. To those acquainted with the toil, fatigue, and discom- 
fort of embryotomy, no dissuasion is necessary so long as there is a 
prospect of success from the simple and generally easier method of 
rectifying the faulty position of the calf. But when the correction of 
the position is manifestly impossible, when distortions and monstrosi- 
ties of the fetus successfully obstruct delivery, when the pelvic pas- 
sages are seriously contracted by fractures and bony growths, when 
the passages are virtually almost closed by swelling, or when the calf 
is dead and excessively swollen, no other resort may be available. In 
many cases of distortion and displacement the dismemberment of the 
entire calf is unnecessary, the removal of the offending member being 
all that is required. It will be convenient, therefore, to describe the 
various suboperations one by one and in the order in which they are 
usually demanded. 

AMPUTATION OF THE FORE LIMB. 

In cutting off a fore limb it is the one presenting that should be 
selected, since it is much more easily operated on, and its complete 
removal from the side of the chest affords so much more space for 
manipulation that it often makes it easy to bring the other missing limb 
or the head into position. The first consideration is to skin the limb 
from the fetlock up and leave the skin attached to the body. The rea- 
sons for this are: (a) That the skin is the most resistant structure of 
the limb, and when it has been removed the entire limb can be easily 
detached; (b) the tough skin left from the amputated limb may be 
used as a cord in subsequent traction on the body of the calf; (c) the 
dissection and separation of the limb are far more safely accomplished 
under the protection of the enveloping skin than if the operator's 
hands and instruments were in direct contact with the walls of the 
passages or womb; {d) the dissection can be much more easily effected 
while the skin is stretched by the left hand, so as to form a compara- 
tively firmer resistant point for the knife, than when it is attempted 
to cut the soft, yielding, and elastic tissues which naturally offer little 
solid resistance, but constantly recede before the cutting edge of the 
instrument. The preservation of the skin is therefore a cardinal 
principle in the amputation of all parts in which it is at all 
feasible. 

The presenting foot is inclosed in a noose and drawn well out of the 
passages. Then a circular incision through the skin is made around 
the limb just abo\-e the fetlock. From this the skin is slit up on the 
inner side of the limb to the breast. Then the projecting part of the 
limb is skinned up to the vulva, traction being made on the foot by 
an assistant so as to expose as much as possible. The embryotomy 



200 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

knife may now bo taken (PI. XXT, fig. 2), and a small hole having 
been cut in the free end of the detached portion of skin, that is seized 
by the left hand and extended while its firm connections with the 
deeper structures are cut through. The looser connections can be 
more quickly torn through with the closed fist, or the tips of the four 
fingers held firmly together in a line, or with the spud, of which there 
are several kinds. Much of the upper part of the limb can be skinned 
more speedily without the knife, but that must be resorted to to cut 
across tough bands whenever these interrupt the progress. The skin- 
ning should be carried upward on the outer side of the shoulder blade 
to the spine, or nearly so. Then with the knife the muscles attach- 
ing the elbow and shoulder to the breastbone are cut across, together 
with those on the inner side of the shoulder joint, and in front and 
behind it so far as these can be reached. Steady traction is now made 
upon the foot, the remaining muscles attaching the shoulder blade to 
the trunk are torn througli with a crackling noise, and the whole 
limb, including the shoulder blade and its investing muscles, comes 
away. If the shoulder blade is left the bulk of the chest is not dimin- 
ished, and nothing has been gained. Before going further it is well 
to see Avhether the great additional space thus secured in the passages 
will allow of the missing limb or head to be brought into position. 
If not, the other presenting part, limb or head, is to be amputated 
and extracted. For the limb the i)rocedure is a repetition of that 
just described. 

AMPUTATION OF THE HEAD. 

The head is first seized and drawn well forward, or even outside the 
vulva, bj^ a rope with a running noose placed around the lower jaw 
just behind the incisor teeth, by a sharp hook inserted in the arch of 
the lower jaw behind the union of its two branches and back of the 
incisor teeth, or by hooks inserted in the orbits, or, finally, in case 
the whole head protrudes, by a halter. (PL XXI, fig. 4a and 4/).) 

In case the whole head protrudes, a circular incision through the 
skin is made just back of the ear, and the cut edge being held firmly 
by the left hand, the neck is skinned as far as it can be reached. 
Then the great ligamentous cord above the spine is cut across at the 
fartliest available point, together with the muscles above and below 
the spine. Strong traction on the head will then detach it at this 
point and bring it away, but should there still be too much resistance 
the knife is inserted between the bodies of two vertebrae just behind 
one of the prominent points felt in the median line below, and their 
connecting fibrous cartilage is cut through, after which comparatively 
moderate pulling will bring it away. The detached neck and body 
at once slip back into the womb, and if the fore limbs are now brought 
up and pulled they are advanced so far upon the chest that the trans- 
verse diameter of that is greatly diminished and delivery correspond- 
ingly facilitated. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 201 

If the head is still Inclosed in the vagina two methods arc avail- 
able: (1) The removal of the lower jaw and subsequent separation of 
the head from the neck; (2) the skinning of the whole head and its 
separation from the neck. 

To remove the lower jaw the skin is dissected away from it until 
the throat is reached. Then the muscles of the cheeks and side of 
the jaw (masseters) are cut through and those connecting the jaw 
with the neck. When traction is made on the rope round the lower 
jaw it will usually come away with little trouble. Should it resist, 
its posterior extremity on each side (behind the grinding teeth) may 
be cut through with bone forceps or with a guarded bone chisel. 
(PL XX, fig. 8.) After the removal of the lower jaw the way will be 
open to separate the head from the neck, the knife being used to cut 
into the first or second joint from below, or the bone forceps or chisel 
being employed to cut through the bones of the neck. Then traction 
is made on the head by means of hooks in the orbits, and the hand, 
armed with an embryotomy knife, is introduced to cut through the 
tense resisting ligament and muscles above the bones. The skin and 
the strong ligamentous cord attached to the poll are the essential 
things to cut, as the muscles can easily be torn across. Unless there 
are great difficulties in the way it is well to skin the head from the 
eyes back, and on reaching the poll to cut through the ligament and 
then bring the head away by pulling. 

If it is decided to remove the entire head at once, it may be skinned 
from the front of the eyes back to behind the lower jaw below and 
the poll above, then cut through the muscles and ligaments around 
the first joint and pull the head away, assisting, if need be, in the 
separation of the head by using the knife on the ligament of the 
joint. 

If the calf is a double-headed monster, the skinning of the head 
must be carried backward until the point has been reached where 
both heads branch from the single neck, and the separation must be 
made at that point. The muscles and ligaments are first to be cut 
through; and if the jmrt can not then be detached by pulling, the 
bodies of the vertebrae may be separated by passing the knife through 
the joint. The second head mny now be secured by a noose round 
the lower jaw or hooks in the orbits and brought up into place, the 
body being pushed back toward the other side by a repeller, so as to 
make room. 

It should be added that, excepting in the case of a double-headed 
monster, or in case of the head protruding or nearlj^ so, and one or 
both fore limbs presenting, it is rarely desirable to undertake ampu- 
tation of the head. The space desirable in the passages can usually 
be secured bj' the much simpler and easier procedure of removing 
one or both fore limbs. 



202 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

AlIPUTATION OF THE HIND LIMBS. 

This is sometimes demanded on the one extended limb ^yhen the 
other can not be brought up and delivery can not be effected; also iu 
case of monsters having extra hind limbs ; in cases where the calf is 
dead, putrid, and bloated with gas, and in some cases of breech 
presentation, as described under that head. 

When the limb is extended the guiding principles are as in the case 
of the fore limbs. The skin is cut through circularly above the fet- 
lock and slit uj) to beneath the pelvic bones on the inner side of the 
thigh. It is then dissected from the other parts as high as it has been 
slit on the inner side and to above the prominence {trochanter major) 
on the upper end of the thigh bone on the outer side of the joint. In 
this procedure the hands and spud can do much, but owing to the 
firmer connections the knife will be more frequently required than in 
the case of the fore limb. The muscles are now cut through all 
around the hii? joint, and strong traction is made by two or three men 
on tiie limb. If there is still too much resistance, a knife is inserted 
into the joint on the inner side and its round ligament cut through, 
after which extraction will be comparatively easy. This accom- 
plished, it will often be j)ossible to extract the fetus with the other 
leg turned forward into the womb. If the calf is bloated with gas, it 
may be necessary to remove the other leg in the same way, and even 
to cut open the chest and abdomen and remove their contents before 
extraction can be effected. In the case of extra limbs it may be pos- 
sible to bring them up into the passages after the presenting hind 
limbs have been removed. If this is not practicable, thej^ may be 
detached by cutting them through at the hip joint, as described under 
"Breech i)resentation," page 194. 

Another method of removing the hind limb is, after having skinned 
it over the quarter, to cut through the pelvic bones from before back- 
ward, in the median line below, by knife, saw, or long embryotome 
(PI. XX, fig. 1), and then disjoint the bones of the spine {sacrum) 
and the hip bono {ilium) on that side with embryotome, knife, or 
saw, and then drag away the entire limb, along with all the hij) bones 
on that side. This has the advantage of securing more room and 
tliereby facilitating subsequent operations. Both limbs may be re- 
moved iu this way, but on the removal of the second the operator is 
without any solid point to drag upon in bringing awa^' the remainder 
of the fetus. 

DIVISION ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE BODY. 

In cases of extra size, monstrosity, or distortion of one end of tlie 
body it may be requisite to cut the body in two and return the half 
from the passages into the womb, even after one-half has been born. 
The presenting members are dragged u^Don forcibly by assistants to 
bring as much of the body as possible outside. Then cut through the 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OEGANS. 203 

skin around the body at some distance from the vulva, and with hand, 
knife, and spud detach it from the trunk as far back into the i)assages 
as can be reached. Next cut across the body at the point readied, 
beginning at the lower part (breast, belly) and proceeding up toward 
the spine. This greatly favors the separation of the backbone when 
reached, and further allows of its being extended so that it can bo 
divided higher up. When the backbone is reached, the knife is 
l)assed between the two bones, the prominent ridges across their ends 
acting as guides, and by dragging and twisting the one is easily 
detached from the other. With an anterior presentation the separa- 
tion should, if possibl-e, be made behind the last rib, while with a 
posterior presentation as many of the ribs should be brought awaj^ as 
can be accomijlished. Having removed one half of the bod}-, the 
remaining half is to be pushed back into the womb, the feet sought 
and secured with nooses, and the second half rem.oved in one piece 
if possible ; and if not, then after the removal of the extra limb or 
other cause of obstruction. 

REMOVAL OF THE CONTENTS OF CHEST OR ABDOMEN. 

If the body of the calf sticks fast in the passages by reason of the 
mere dryness of its skin and of the passages, the obstacle may be 
removed by injecting sweet oil past the fetus into the womb through 
a rubber or other tube, and smearing the passages freely with lard. 
When the obstruction depends on excess of size of the chest or abdo- 
men, or thickening of the body from distorted spine, much advantage 
may be derived from the removal of the contents of these great cavi- 
ties of the trunk. We have already seen how the haunches may be 
narrowed by cutting the bones apart in the median line below and 
causing their free edges to overlap each other. The abdomen can be 
cut open by the embryotomy knife or the long embryotome in the 
median line, or at any point, and the contents pulled out with the 
hand, the knife being used in any case when especial resistance is 
encountered. If the abdomen is so firmly impacted that it can not be 
dealt with in this way, one hind limb and the hip bone on the same 
side may be removed as described under "Amputation of the hind 
limbs," page 202. This will allow the introduction of the hand into 
the abdomen from behind, so as to pull out the contents. By intro- 
ducing an embryotomy knife in the palm of the hand and cutting 
through the muscle of the diaphragm the interior of the chest can 
be reached in the same way and the heart and lungs removed. 

When, in dealing with an anterior presentation, it becomes neces- 
sary to remove the contents of the chest, the usual course is to cut 
through the connections of the ribs with the breastbone (the costal 
cartilages) close to the breastbone on each side, and from the abdo- 
men forward to the neck. Then cut through the muscles connecting 
the front of the breastbone with the neck and its hinder end with the 



204 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

belly, and pull out the entire breastbone. Having torn out the heart 
and lungs with the hand, make the rib cartilages on the one side over- 
lap those on the other, so as to lessen the thickness of the chest, and 
proceed to extract the body. If it seems needful to empty the abdo- 
men as well, it is easy to reach it by cutting through the diaphragm, 
which separates it from the chest. 

delivery through the flank (c^esarean section, or 
laparotomy). 

This is sometimes demanded, when the distortion and narrowing of 
the hip bones are such as to forbid the passage of the calf, or when 
inflammation has practically closed the natural passages and the 
progeny is more valuable and wortliy of being saved than the dam ; 
also in cases in which the cow has been fatally injured, or is ill beyond 
possibility of recovery and yet carries a living calf. It is too often a 
last resort after long and fruitless efforts to deliver by the natural 
channels, and in such cases the saving of the calf is all that can be 
expected, the exhausted cow, already the subject of active inflamma- 
tion, and too often also of putrid poisoning, is virtually beyond hope. 
The hope of saving the dam is greatest if she is in good health and 
not fatigued, in cases, for example, in which the operation is resorted 
to on account of broken hip bones or abnormally narrow passages. 

The stock owner will not attempt such a serious operation as this. 
Yet, where the mother has just died or is to be immediately sacrificed, 
no one should hesitate at resorting to it in order to save the calf. If 
alive it is important to have the cow perfectly still. Her left fore leg 
being bent at the knee by one person, another may seize the left horn 
and nose and turn the head to the right until the nose rests on the 
spine just above the shoulder. The cow will sink down gentlj^on her 
left side without shock or struggle. One may now hold the head 
firmly to the ground, while a second, carrying the end of the tail from 
behind forward on the inside of the right thigh, pulls upon it so as to 
keep the right hind limb well raised from the ground. If time presses 
she may be operated on in this iDOsition, or if the cow is to be sacri- 
ficed a blow on the head with an ax will secure quietude. Then the 
prompt cutting into the abdomen and womb and the extraction of the 
calf requires no skill. If, however, the cow is to preserved, her two 
fore feet and the lower hind one should be safely fastened together 
and the upper hind one drawn back. Two ounces chloral hydrate, 
given by injection, should induce sleep in twenty minutes and the 
operation may proceed. In case the cow is to be preserved, wash the 
right flank and apply a solution of 4 grains of corrosive sublimate in 
a pint of water. 

Then, with an ordinary scalpel or knife dipped in the above solu- 
tion, make an incision from 2 inches below and in front of the outer 
angle of the hip bone in a direction downward and slightly forward to 
a distance of 12 inches. Cut through the muscles, and more carefully 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKATIVE ORGANS. 205 

tbrougli the transparent lining membrane of the abdomen (perito- 
neum), letting the point of the knife lie in the groove between the first 
two fingers of the left hand as they are slid down inside the membrane 
and with their back to the intestines. An assistant, whose hands, like 
those of tlie operator, have been dii)ped in the sublimate solution, 
may press his hands on t\u) wound behind the knife to prevent the 
protrusion of the intestines. The operator now feels for and brings 
up to the wound the gravid womb, allowing it to bulge well through 
the abdominal wound, so as to keep back the bowels and prevent any 
escape of water into the abdomen. This is seconded bj' two assistants, 
who i^ress the lips of the wound against the womb. Then an incision 
12 inches long is made into the womb at its most prominent point, 
deep enough to penetrate its walls, but not so as to cut into the water 
bags. In cutting, carefully avoid the cotyledons, which may be felt 
as hard masses inside. By pressure the water bags may be made to 
bulge out as in natural parturition, and this projecting portion may 
be torn or cut so as to let the liquid flow down outside of the belly. 
The operator now plunges his hand into the womb, seizes the fore or 
hind limbs, and quickly extracts the calf and gives it to an attendant 
to convey to a safe place. The w^omb may be drawn out, but not until 
all the liquid has flowed out, and the fetal membranes must be sei)a- 
rated from the natural cotyledons, one by one, and the membranes 
removed. The womb is now emptied with a sponge, which has been 
boiled or squeezed out of a sublimate solution, and if anj' liquid has 
fallen into the abdomen it may be removed in the same way. A few 
stitches are now placed in the wound in the womb, using carbolized 
catgut. They need not be very close together, as the wound will 
diminish greatly when the womb contracts. Should the womb not 
contract at once it may have applied against it a sponge squeezed out 
of a cold sublimate solution, or it may be drawn out of the abdominal 
Avound and exposed to the cold air until it contracts. Its contraction 
is necessary to prevent bleeding from its enormous network of veins. 
When contracted the womb is returned into the abdomen and the 
abdominal wound sewed up. One set of stitches, to be placed at 
intervals of 2 inches, is passed through the entire thickness of skin 
and muscles and tied around two quills or little rollers resting on the 
skin. (PI. XXVIII, fig. 7.) These should be of silver, and may be 
cut at one end and pulled out after the wound has healed. The super- 
ficial stitches are put in every half inch and passed through the skin 
only. The}', too, may be of silver; or j)ins may be inserted through 
the lips and a fine cord twisted round their ends like a figure 8. (PL 
XXVIII, fig. 9.) Tlie points of the pins may be snipped off Avith 
pliers. The edges maj^ be still further held together by the applica- 
tion of Venice turpentine, melted so as to become firmly adherent, and 
covered with a layer of sterilized cotton wool. Then the whole should 
be supported by a bandage fixed around the loins and abdomen. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

Plate XII: 

Fetus with its membranes at mid term. The uterus is opened on the left side. 
In the uterus the fetus is surrounded by several membranes, which are 
known as the amnion, or inner layer, the allantois. or central layer, and the 
chorion, or outer layer. The amnion, or inner membrane, is nearest the 
fetus, and forms a closed sac around it, filled with a fluid known as liquor 
amnii, in which the fetus floats. 

The allantois is the central membrane, and is composed of two layers which 
f oi-m a closed sac in connection with the urachus, or the tube which extends 
from the fetal bladder through the umbilical cord. The one layer of the 
allantois is spread over the outer surface of the amnion and the other 
over the inner surface of chorion. The allantois also contains a fluid which 
is known as the allantoid liquid. 

The chorion is the outer envelope or membrane of the fetus, completely inclos- 
ing the fetus with its other membranes. On the outer surface of this 
membrane are found the fetal placentulse, or cotyledons, which, through 
their attachment to the maternal cotyledons, furnish the fetus with the 
means of sustaining life. The relation of the fetal and maternal cotyle- 
dons to each other is illustrated on the following plate. 
Plate XIII: 

Fig. 1. Uterus of the cow during pregnancy, laid open to show the cotyledons 
(d) on the internal surface of uterus (c). The ovary (a) is shown cut 
across, and the two halves laid open to show the position of the discharged 
ovum at a'. 

Fig. 2. Illustrates the relation of the fetal and maternal parts of a cotyledon. 
A portion of the uterus (A) is shown with the maternal cotyledon (BB) 
attached to it. The fetal portion (D) consists of a mass of very minute 
hairlike processes on the chorion (E) , which fit into corresponding depres- 
sions or pits of the maternal portion. Each portion is abundantly supplied 
with blood vessels, so that a ready interchange of nutritive fluid may take 
place between mother and fetu?. 
Plate XIV: 

Fig. 1. Taken from Furstenherg-Leisering , Anatomie und Physiologic des 
Rindes. Fetal calf with a portion of the wall of the abdominal cavity of 
the right side and the stomach and intestines removed to illustrate the 
nature of the umbilical or navel cord. It consists of a tube (1-1) into 
which pass the two umbilical arteries (3) carrying blood to the placenta 
in the uterus or womb and the umbilical vein (4) bringing the blood back 
and carrying it into the liver. The cord also contains the urachus (2'), 
which carries urine from the bladder (2) through the cord. These vessels 
are all obliterated at birth. 5, liver; 5', lobe of same, known as the lobus 
Spiegelii; 5", gall bladder; 6, right kidney; 6, left kidney; 6", ureters, or 
the tubes conducting the urine from the kidnej^s to the bladder; 7, rectum, 
where it has been severed in removing the intestines; 8, uterus of the 
fetus, cut oif at the anterior extremity; 9, aorta; 10, posterior vena cava. 

206 



DISEASES OF THE GENEEATIVE OEGANS. 207 

Pla-Te XIV — Continued. 

Fig. 3. Taken from Qnain's Anatomy, Vol. ii, showing the blood vessels 
passing through the umbilical cord in a human fetus: L, liver; K, kidney; 
/, intestines; t^C, umbilical cord; [70, umbilical arteries. The posteiior 
aorta coming from the heart passes backward and gives rise to the internal 
iliac arteries, and of these the umbilical arteries are branches. Uv, umbil- 
ical vein; this joins the portal vein, passes onward to the liver, breaks up 
into smaller vessels, which reunite in the hepatic vein; this empties into 
the posterior vena cava, which carries the blood back to the heart. 
Pi. ATE XV: 

Showing the most favorable position of the calf or fetus in the womb at birth, 
and the position in which it is most frequently found. This is known as 
the normal anterior position. The back of the fetus is directly towards 
that of the mother, the fore legs are extended back towards the vulva of 
the mother, and the head rests between them. The birth of the calf in 
this position usually takes place without artificial assistance. 
Plate XVI: 

Fig. 1. Anterior presentation; one fore limb completely retained. From 
Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. The retained limb must be reached if 
possible, and brought forward joint by joint and the fetus then extracted. 

Fig. 3. Anterior presentation; fore limbs bent at knee. From Fleming's 
Veterinary Obstetrics. The limbs must be extended before delivery can 
be accomplished. 

Fig. 3. Anterior presentation; fore limb crossed over neck. From Fleming's 
Veterinary Obstetrics. The leg should be grasped a little above the fet- 
lock, raised, drawn to its proper side, and extended in the genital canal. 

Fig. 4. Anterior presentation; downward deviation of head. After St. Cyr, 
from Hill's Bovine Medicine and Surgery. The head must be brought 
into position seen in Plate XV before delivery can take place. 

Fig. 5. Anterior presentation; deviation of the head upwards and backwards. 
From Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. Retropulsion is the first indica- 
tion, and will often bring the head into its normal position. 

Fig. 6. Anterior presentation; head presenting with back down. From D'Ar- 
boval, Diet, cle Med. et de Chir. The fetus should be turned by pushing 
back the fore parts and bringing up the hind so as to make a posterior 
presentation. 
Plate XVII: 

Fig. 1. Anterior presentation, with hind feet engaged in pelvis. A very serious 
malpresentation, in which it is generally impossible to save the fetus if 
delivery is far advanced. The indications are to force back the hind feet. 

Fig. 3. Thigh and croup presentation, showing the fetus corded. From 
Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. The cord has a ring or noose at one 
end. The two ends of the cord are passed between the thighs, brought 
out at the flanks, and the plain end passed through the noose at the top 
of the back and brought outside the vulva. The fetus must be pushed 
back and an attempt made to bring the limbs properly into the genital 
passage. 

Fig. 3. Croup and hock presentation. From Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. 
The indications in this abnormal presentation are the same as described 
for Fig. 3. 

Fig. 4. Posterior presentation; the fetus on its back. From D'Arboval, i)/ef. 
de Med. et de Chir. Turn the fetus so as to make a normal anterior 
presentation. 



208 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Plate XVII— ContiniTed. 

Fig. 5. Sterno-abdominal presentation. From D'Arboval. Diet, de Afed. et de 
CJiir. The fetus is on its side with limbs cros.sing and presenting. The 
limbs least eligible for extraction should be forced back into the uterus. 

Fig. 6. Dorso-lumbar presentation; the back presenting. From D"Arboval, 
Diet, de Med. et de Chir. The fetus must be turned so that one or the 
other extremity can enter the passage. 
Plate XVIII: 

Fig. 1. Twin pregnancy, showing the normal anterior and posterior presenta- 
tions. From Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. 

Fig. 3. Abdominal dropsy of the fetus; normal presentation; fore limbs corded. 
After Armatage. The drawing illustrates the method of puncturing the 
abdomen through the chest with a long trocar and canula. The fluid is 
represented escaping from the canula after the withdrawal of the trocar. 

Fig. ;i Tallich's short, bent, crotchet forceps. The forceps have bent and 
toothed jaws, which are intended to take hold of the fetus where neither 
cords nor hooks can be applied, as the ear, nose, or skin of cheek. 

Fig. 4. Clamp for ear, skin, etc: 1-1, blades with hooks and corresponding 
holes; 2, ring to close the blades; 3, stem with female screw for handle; 
4, handle, which may be either straight or jointed and flexible. 
Plate XIX: 

This plate illustrates various malformations and diseases of the fetus which 
act as the cause of difficult parturition. 

Figs. 1, 2, 3. Represent the fetuses with portions of their bodies double. Fig. 
1 (from Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics) , double head, neck, and fore 
limbs. Fig. 2 (from Encyclop. dcr Gesam. ThierheUkiinde, 1886), double 
head, neck, fore limbs, and body. Fig. 3 (from Fleming's Veterinary 
Obstetrics) , double faced. 

Fig. 4. Fetus with head very much enlarged. From Fleming's Veterinary 
Obstetrics. This affection is known as hydrocephalus, or dropsy of the 
brain, and is due to a more or less considerable quantity of fluid in the 
cranial cavity of the fetus. 

Fig. 0. Skull of the calf represented in Fig. 4. The roof of the skull is absent. 
From Fleming's Veterinary Obstetrics. 
Plate XX: 

Fig. 1. Long embryotome with joint. 

Fig. 2. Long sharp hook. This instrument is about 3 feet in length, including 
the handle. Hooks of this kind, both blunt and sharp, are applied directly 
to the fetus to assist in delivery. 

Fig. 3. Giinther's long-handled embryotome. This instrument and that rep- 
resented in Fig. 1 are of special vahie in cutting through muscular tissue 
and in separating the limbs from the trunk when the fetus can not be 
removed entire. These embryotomes are usually 30 inches long, but may 
be made either longer or shorter. 

Fig. 4. Jointed cord-carrier, used in diflBcult parturition to carry a cord into 
regions which can not be reached by the arm. 

Fig. 5. Instrument used to rotate or turn the fetus, known as a rotator. 

Fig. 6. Dilator of the neck of the womb, used when conception can not take 

place ovdng to a contracted condition of the neck of the womb. 
Fig. 7. Repeller. An instrument from 2 to 3 feet long, used to force the fetus 
forward into the womb. This operation is generally necessary when the 
presentation is abnormal and the fetus has advanced too far into the nar- 
row inlet to the uterus to be moved. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XII. 




■An/f/f'k. ^/n' t ^f^/r 



Foetal Calf within its Membranes. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XIII 








^,//'y. /^W<. 



Pregnant Uterus with Cotyledons. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XIV. 




'^^f.'yi^'^ tr/^^. 



Vessels of Umbilical Cord. 



^1 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XV. 




1 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XVI. 




n 



DiSFASES OF Cat-' 



Plate XVII. 




Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XVIII 







Abnormal Position of Calf in Utero. 
Surgical Instruments and Sutures. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XIX. 











DisfASES OF Cattle. 



Plate XX. 




t^ti'fieti . cM 



Instruments used in Difficult Labor. 



Diseases or Cattle. 



Plate XXI. 







j^VCTr.ro.-vggssvsTSTiVy«V1iri 



4,« 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ssssssssssaa. 






Instruments used in Difficult Labor. 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKATIVE ORGANS. 20^ 

Plate XX — Continued. 

Fig. 8. Cartwrighfs bone chisel. Including the handle this instrument is 
about 32 inches in length, the chisel portion is a little more than 2 inches 
long and 1 to 1^ broad. Only the middle portion is sharp, the projecting 
corners are blunt and the sides rounded. This instrument is used for 
slitting up the skin of a limb and as a bone chisel when it is necessary ta- 
mutilate the fetus in order to effect delivery. 
Plate XXI: 

Fig. 1. Embryotome, an instrument used when it is necessary to reduce the- 
size of the fetus by cutting away certain parts before birth can be effected.. 
This instrument may be long or short, straight or curved. 

Fig, 2. Also an embryotome. The blade can be made to slide out of or into- 
the handle. The instrument can thus be introduced into or withdrawn 
from the genital passage without risk of injury to the mother. 

Fig. 3. Schaack"s traction cord. This is merely a cord with a running noose- 
at one end and a piece of wood at the other, to offer a better hold for the 
hand. 

Figs. 4ci and ib. Reuff's head collar for securing the head of the fetus. 

Fig. 5. Curved cord-carrier, used in difficult parturition to carry a cord into 
regions which can not be reached by the arm. 

Fig. 6. Blunt hook, used in difficult parturition. 

Fig. 7. Short hook forceps, used in difficult parturition. 

Fig. 8. Blunt finger hook. 

8267-04 14 



DISEASES FOLLO^^^:XCT paetueitiox. 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S., 
Professor of Veterinary Science, etc., in Cornell University. 

FLOODING (bleeding FROM THE WOMB). 

Thougli not so common in the co^Y as in the human female, flooding 
is sufficiently frequent to demand attention. It may depend on a too 
rapid calving, and a consequent failure of the womb to contract when 
the calf has been removed. The pregnant womb is extraordinarily 
rich in blood vessels, and especially in large and tortuous veins, 
which become compressed and all but obliterated under contraction, 
but remain overfilled and often bleed into the cavity of the womb 
should no contraction take place. Cox records cases in which the 
labor pains had detached and expelled the fetal membranes, vdiile 
the calf, owing to large size or wrong presentation, wtis detained in 
the womb, and the continued dilatation of the womb in the absence 
of the fetal membranes led to a flow of blood which accumulated in 
clots around the calf. Other causes are laceration of the cotyledons 
of the womb, or from an antecedent inflammation of the placenta, and 
the unnatural adhesion of the membranes to the womb, which bleeds 
when the two are torn apart. Weakness of the womb from overdis- 
tention, as in dropsj^, twins, etc. , is not without its influence. Finally, 
eversion of the womb (casting the withers) is an occasional cause of 
flooding. The trouble is only too evident when the blood flows from 
the external passages in drops or in a fine stream. But when it is 
retained in the cavity of the womb it may remain unsusi3ected until 
it has rendered the animal almost bloodless. The symptoms in such 
a case are paleness of the ej'es, nose, mouth, and of the lips of the 
vulva, a weak, rapid i:)ulse, violent and perhaps loud beating of the 
heart (palpitations), sunken, staring eyes, coldness of the skin, ears, 
horns, and limbs, perspiration, weakness in standing, staggering 
gait, and finally inability to rise, and death in convulsions. If these 
symptoms are seen, the oiled hand should be introduced into the 
womb, Avhich will be found open and flaccid and containing large 
blood clots. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists in the removal of the fetal mem- 
branes and blood clots from the womb (which will not contract while 
they are present), the dashing of cold water on the loins, right flank, 
and vulva, and if these measures fail the injection of cold water into 

210 



\ 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTUKITIO]^". 211 

tlie womb tlirongh a rubber tube furnished with a funnel. In obsti- 
nate cases a good-sized, sponge soaked in tincture of muriate of iron 
should be introduced into the womb and firmly squeezed, so as to 
bring the iron in contact with the bleeding surface. This is at once 
an astringent and a coagulant for the blood, besides stimulating the 
womb to contraction. In the absence of this agent astringents (solu- 
tion of copperas, alum, tannic acid, or acetate of lead) may be thrown 
into the womb, and one-half -dram doses of acetate of lead maj' be 
given b}^ the mouth, or 1 ounce x^owdered ergot of rj-e may be given 
in gruel. When nothing else is at hand, an injection of oil of tur- 
pentine will sometimes i:)romptly check the bleeding. 

E VERSION OF THE WOMB (CASTING THE WITHERS). 

Like flooding, this is the result of failure of the womb to contract 
after calving. If that organ contracts naturally, the . afterbirth is 
expelled, the internal cavity of the womb is nearly closed, and the 
mouth of the organ becomes so narrow that the hand can not be 
forced through, much less the whole mass of the matrix. When, 
however, it fails to contract, the closed end of one of the horns may 
fall into its open internal cavity, and under the compression of the 
adjacent intestines, and the straining and contraction of the abdomi- 
nal walls, it is forced farther and farther, until the whole organ is 
turned outside in, slides back through the vagina, and hangs from 
the vulva. The womb can be instantlj^ distinguished from the pro- 
truding vagina or bladder by the presence over its whole surface of 
fifty to one hundred mushroom-like bodies (cotyledons), each 2 to 3 
inches in diameter, and attached by a narrow neck. (Pis. XII, 
XIII.) When fully everted, it is further recognizable by a large, 
undivided body hanging from the vulva, and two horns or divisions 
which hang down toward the hocks. In the imperfect eversions the 
body of the womb may be iDresent with two dejpressions leading into 
the two horns. In the cases of some standing the organ has become 
inflamed and gorged with blood until it is as large as a bushel basket, 
and its surface has a dark-red, blood-like hue, and tears and bleeds 
on the slightest touch. Still later lacerations, raw sores, and eve'n 
gangrene are shown in the mass. At the moment of protrusion the 
general health is not altered, but soon the inflammation and fever 
with the violent and continued straining induce exhaustion, and the 
cow lies down, making no attemiJt to rise. 

Treatment. — Treatment will var}' somewhat, according to the degree 
of the eversion. In i^artial eversion, with the womb protruding only 
slightly from the vulva and the cow standing, let an assistant liinch 
the back to prevent straining while the operator pushes his closed fist 
into the center of the mass and carries it back through the vagina, 
assisting in returning the surrounding parts bj' the other hand. In 
more comjilete eversion, but with the womb as yet of its natural bulk 



212 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

and consistency, and the cow standing, straining "being checked by 
pinching the back, a sheet is held bj^ two men so as to sustain the 
everted womb and raise it to the level of the vulva. It is now sponged 
clean with cold water, the cold being useful in driving out the blood 
and reducing the bulk, and finally it may be sponged over with 
laudanum or with a weak solution of carbolic acid (1 dram to 1 quart 
water). 

The closed fist may now be planted in the rounded end of the largest 
horn and pushed on so as to turn it back within itself and carry it on 
through the vagina, the other hand being used meanwhile to assist in 
the inversion and in pushing the different masses in succession 
within the lips of the vulva. In case of failure, resort should be had 
at once to a plan which I have successfully followed for many years, 
but which has never been described save by a short notice in my 
Farmers' Veterinarj^ Adviser, eighth edition. Take a long linen or 
cotton bandage, 5 or 6 inches wide, and wind it around the protrud- 
ing womb as tightly as it can be drawn, beginning at the free end 
and gradually covering the entire mass up to the vulva. By this 
means the greater part of the blood will be forced out of the organ 
and its bulk greatly reduced, so that its reduction is much facilitated. 
An additional advantage is found in the protection given to the womb 
by its investing bandage while it is being pushed forward into the 
vagina and abdomen. In manipulating the exposed womb there is 
always danger of laceration, but when the organ is covered with a 
sheet it is next to impossible to tear it. The subsequent manipula- 
tion is as in the other case, bj^ pushing the blind end forward within 
itself with the closed fist and carrying this on through the vagina 
into the abdomen with the constant assistance of the other hand. It 
will often be found convenient to use the edge of the left hand to 
push the outer part of the protruding mass inside the lips of the vulva, 
while the right hand and arm are carrying the central portions for- 
ward through the vagina. An intelligent assistant, pushing with the 
palms of both hands on the outer portion of the mass, will also afford 
material assistance. As the womb is turned within itself the wrap- 
ping bandage will gradual^' loosen, but once the great mass has 
entered the passages it is easy to compel the rest to follow, and the 
compression by the bandage is no longer so important. AV'hen the 
womb is fully replaced the bandage is left in its interior in a series of 
loose folds, and can be easily withdrawn. It is well to move the hand 
from side to side to insure that the two horns of the womb are fully 
extended and on about the same level before withdrawing the arm 
and applying a truss. 

When the womb has been long everted and is gorged with blood, 
inflamed, and friable there is often the additional disadvantage that 
the animal is unable or unwilling to rise. When lying down the 
straining can not be controlled so effectually, and the compression of 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PAETURITION. 213 

the belly is so great as to prove a serious obstacle to reduction, eveu 
in the absence of straining. The straining may be checked by 2 or 3 
ounces of laudanum or 2 ounces of chloral hydrate, or by inhalation 
of chloroform to insensibility, and then by raising the hind parts on 
straw bundles the gravitation of the abdominal oi-gans forward may 
be made to lessen the resistance. If success can not be had in this 
waj', the cow may be further turned on her back, and if return is still 
impossible, the hind limbs may be tied together and drawn up to a 
beam overhead by the aid of a puUe}'. In this position, in place of 
the pressure backward of the bowels proving a hindrance, their gravi- 
tation forward proves a most material help to reduction. In seeking 
to return the womb the sponging with ice-cold water, the raising 
on a sheet, and the wrapping in a tight bandage should be resorted 
to. Another method which is especially commendable in these 
inflamed conditions of the womb is to bring a paece of linen sheet, 
30 by 36 inches, under the womb, Avitli its anterior border close up to 
the vulva, then turn the posterior border upward and forward over 
the organ, and cross the two ends over this and over each other above. 
The ends of the sheet are steadily drawn, so as to tighten its hold on 
the womb, which is thus held on the level of the vulva or above, and 
cold water is constantly poured upon the mass. The reduction is 
further sought by compression of the mass with the palms applied 
outside the sheet.* Fifteen or twenty minutes are usually' sufficient 
to cause the return of the womb, provided straining is i^revented by 
pinching of the back or otherwise. 

In old and aggravated cases, with the womb torn, bruised, or even 
gangrenous, the only resort is to amputate the entire mass. This is 
done by tying a strong waxed cord around the protruding mass close 
up to the vulva, winding the cord around pieces of wood, so as to draw 
it as tightly as possible, cutting off the organ below this ligature, 
tying a thread on any artery that may still bleed, and returning the 
stump well into the vagina. 

JRetention of the returned womb is the next i)oint, and this is most 
easily accomplished by a rope truss. Take two ropes, each about 18 
feet long and an inch in thickness. Double each rope at its middle, 
and lay the one above the other at the bend so as to form an ovoid of 
about 8 inches in its long diameter. Twist each end of the one rope 
twice around the other, so that this ovoid will remain when they ai*e 
drawn tight. (Pis. XXII and XXIII.) Tie a strap or rope around the 
back part of the neck and a surcingle around the body. Place the rope 
truss on the animal so that the ovoid ring shall surround the vulva, 
the two ascending ropes on the right and left of the tail and the two 
descending ones down inside the thighs on the right and left of the 
udder. These descending ropes are carried forward on the sides of 
the body and tied to the surcingle and to the neck collar. The 
ascending ropes proceed forward on the middle of the back, twisting 



214 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

over each other, and are tied to the snrcingie and collar, the upper 
and lower ropes are drawn so tightly that the rope ring is made to 
press firmly all around the vulva without risk of displacement. This 
should be worn for several days, until the womb shall have closed 
and all risk of further eversion is at an end. Variations of this 
device are found in the use of a narrow triangle of iron applied 
around the vulva aud fixed b}' a similar arrangement of ropes, sur- 
cingle, and collar (PI. XXIII, fig. 3), a common crupper similarly 
held around the vulva (PL XXIT, fig. 1), stitches through the vulva, 
and wires inserted through the skin on the two hips (PI. XXIII, fig. 2), 
so that they will cross behind the vulva; also pessaries of various 
kinds inserted in the vagina. None of these, however, presents any 
advantage over the simple and comparatively painless rope truss 
described above. Such additional precautions as keeping the cow in 
a stall higher behind than in front, and seeing that the diet is slightly 
laxative and nonstimulating* may be named. If straining is persistent, 
ounce doses of laudanum may be employed twice a day, and the same 
may be injected into the vagina. 

If the womb has been cut off, injections of a solution of a teaspoon- 
ful of carbolic acid in a quart of water should be emploj^ed daily, or 
more frequently, until the discharge ceases. 

EVERSION OF THE BLADDER. . 

A genuine eversion of the bladder is almost unknown in the cow, 
owing to the extreme narrowness of its mouth. The protrusion of the 
bladder, however, through a laceration in the floor of the vagina sus- 
tained in calving, and its subsequent protrusion through the vulva, is 
sometimes met with. In this case the x^i'otruding bladder contains 
urine, which can never be the case in a real eversion, in which the 
inner surface of the bladder and the openings of the ureters are both 
exj)osed outside the vulva. The presence of a bag containing water, 
which is connected with the floor of the vagina, will serve to identify 
this condition. If the position of the bladder in the vulva renders it 
impracticable to pass a catheter to draw off the urine, pierce the 
organ with the nozzle of a hypodermic syringe, or even a very small 
trocar and canula, and draw off the water, when it will be found an 
easy matter to return the bladder to its place. The rent in the vagina 
can be stitched up, but as there would be risk in any subsequent 
calving it is best to prepai-e the cow for the butcher, 

RUPTURE OF THE BLADDER. 

This has been known to occur in protracted parturition when the 
fetus finally passed while the bladder was full. The symptoms are 
those of complete suppression of urine and tenderness of the abdo- 
men, withasteady accumulation of liquid and fluctuation on handling 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 215 

its lower part. If the liaud is introduced into the vagina it is felt to 
be hot and tender, and perhaps slightly swollen along its floor. As a 
final test, if the lower fluctuating part of the abdomen is punctured 
with a hj'podermic needle, a straw-colored liquid of an urinous odor 
flows out. The condition has been considered as past hope. The 
only chance for recoverj^ would be in opening the abdomen, evacuat- 
ing the liquid, and stitching up the rent in the bladder, but at such 
a season and with inflammation alreadj^ started there would be little 
to hope for. 

RUPTURE OF THE WOMB. 

AVhen the womb has been rendered friable bj' disease this may occur 
in the course of the labor, but much more frequently it occurs from 
violence sustained in attempting assistance in difficult parturition. 
It is also liable to occur during eversion of the organ through efforts 
to replace it. 

If it happens while the calf is still in the womb, it will usually bleed 
freel}' and continuously until the fetus has been extracted, so that the 
womb can contract on itself and expel its excess of blood. Another 
danger is that in case of a large rent the calf may escape into the cav- 
ity of the abdomen and i^arturition become impossible. Still another 
danger is that of the introduction of septic germs and the setting up of 
a fatal inflammation of the lining membrane of the belly (peritoneum). 
Still another is the escape of the small intestine through the rent and 
on through the vagina and vulva, so as to protrude externally and 
receive iDerhaps fatal injuries. In case of rupture before calving, that 
act should be completed as rapidly and carefully as possible, the fetal 
membranes removed and the contraction of the womb sought by dash- 
ing cold water on the loins, the right flank, or the vulva. If the calf 
has escaped into the abdomen and can not be brought through the 
natural channels it may be permissible to fix the animal and extract 
it through the side, as in the C?esarian section. If the laceration has 
happened during eversion of the womb it is usually less redoubtable, 
because the womb contracts more readily under the stimulus of the 
cold air so recently applied. In case the abdomen has been laid open 
it is well to stitch up the rent, but if not it should be left to nature, and 
^ill often heal satisfactorily, the cow even breeding successfully in 
after years. 

LACERATIONS AND RUPTURES OF THE VAGINA. 

Rupture of the floor of the vagina has been already referred to as 
allowing the protrusion of the bladder. Laceration of the roof of this 
passage is also met with as the result of deviations of the hind limbs 
and feet upward when the calf lies on its back. In some such cases 
the opening passes clear into the rectum, or the foot may even pass 
out thi'ough the anus, so that that opening and the vulva are laid open 
into one. 



216 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Simple superficial lacerations of the vaginal Avails are not usually 
serious, and heal readily unless septic inflammation sets in, in which 
ease the cow is likely to perish. They may be treated with soothing 
and antiseptic injections, such as carbolic acid, 1 dram; water, 1 
quart. 

The more serious injuries depend on the complications. Rupture 
of the anterior part of the canal, close to the mouth of the womb, may 
lead to the introduction of infecting germs into the cavity of the abdo- 
men, or protrusion of the bowel through the rent and externallj'^, either 
of which is likely to prove fatal. If both these conditions are escaped 
the wound maj^ heal spontaneous!}'. Rupture into the bladder may 
lead to nothing Avorse than a constant dribbling of urine from the 
vulva. The cow should be fattened if she survives. Rupture into 
the rectum will entail a constant escape of feces through the vulva, 
and, of course, the same condition exists when the anus as well has 
been torn open. I have successfully sewed up an opening of this 
kind in the mare, but in the cow it is probably better to prepare for 
the butcher. 

CLOTS OF BLOOD IN THE WALLS OF THE VAGINA. 

During calvang the vagina may be bruised so as to cause escape of 
blood beneath the mucous membrane and its coagulation into large 
bulging clots. The vulva may appear swollen, and on separating its 
lips the mucous membrane of the vagina is seen to be raised into 
irregular rounded swellings of a dark-blue or black color, and which 
pit on i)ressure of the finger. If the accumlation of blood is not 
extensive it may bareabsorbed, but if abundant it may lead to irri- 
tation and dangerous inflammation, and should be incised with a 
lancet and the clots cleared out. The wounds may then be sponged 
twice a day with a lotion made with 1 dram sulphate of zinc, 1 dram 
carbolic acid, and 1 quart Avater. 

KETAINED AFTERBIRTH. 

The coAv, of all our domestic animals, is esi)ecially subject to this 
accident. This may be partly accounted for b}^ the firm connections 
established through the fifty to one hundred cotyledons (PI. XIII, 
fig. 2) in which the fetal membranes doA^etail with the follicles of the 
womb. It is also most liable to occur after abortion, in Avhich prepa- 
ration has not been made by fatty degeneration for the scA^erance of 
these close connections. In the occurrence of inflammation, causing 
the formation of ncAv tissue betAveen the membranes and the Avomb, 
we find tlie occasion of unnaturallj" firm adhesions AAiiich jjreA'ent the 
spontaneous detachment of the membranes. Again, in Ioav conditions 
of health and an imperfect poAver of contraction AA^e find a potent 
cause of retention, the general debility shoAving particularly in the 
indisposition of tlie AA-omb to contract, after calving, v>*ith sufficient 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITIOlSr. 217 

energy to expel the afterbirth. Hence we find the condition common 
Avith insniiicient or inniitrions food, and in years or localities in which 
the fodder has suffered from weather. Ergoted (PI. V), smutty, or 
musty fodder, by causing abortion, is a frequent cause of retention. 
Old cows are more subject than young ones, probably because of 
diminishing vigor. A temporary retention is sometimes due to a too 
rapid closure of the neck of the womb after calving, causing strangu- 
lation and imprisonment of the membranes. Conditions favoring this 
are the drinking of cold (iced) water, the eating of cold food (frosted 
roots), and (through sympathy between udder and womb) a too 
prompt sucking by tlie calf or milking bj^ the attendant. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of retention of the afterbirth are usu- 
ally only too evident, as the membranes hang from the vulva and rot 
away gradually, causing the most offensive odor throughout the build- 
ing. When retained within the womb by closure of its mouth and 
similarly in cases in which the protruded part has rotted off, the 
decomposition continues and the fetid products escaping by the vulva 
appear in offensively smelling pools on the floor, and mat together the 
hairs near the root of the tail. The septic materials retained in the 
womb cause inflammation of its lining membrane, and this, together 
with the absorption into the blood of the products of putrefaction, 
leads to ill health, emaciation, and drying up of the milk. 

Treatment. — Treatment will vary according to the conditions. 
When the cow is in low condition or when retention is connected 
with drinking iced water or eating frozen food, hot drinks and hot 
mashes of wheat bran or other aliment mny be all sufftcient. If, 
along with the above conditions, the bowels are somewhat confined, 
an ounce of ground ginger, or half an ounce of black pepper, 
given with a quart of sweet oil, or 1| pounds of Glauber's salts, 
the latter in at least 4 quarts of warm water, will often prove effect- 
ual. A bottle or two of flaxseed tea, made by prolonged boiling, 
should also be given at frequent intervals. Other stimulants, like 
rue, savin, laurel, and carminitives like anise, cumin, and coriander 
are preferred by some, but with very questionable reason, the more 
so that the first three are not without danger. Ergot of rye, 1 ounce, 
or extract of the same, 1 dram, may be resorted to to induce contrac- 
tion of the womb. The mechanical extraction of the membranes is, 
however, often called for; of this there are .several methods. The 
simplest is to hang a weight of 1 or 2 pounds to the hanging portion, 
and allow this, by its constant dragging and by its jerking effect 
when the cow moves, to pull the membranes from their attachments 
and to stimulate the womb to expulsive contractions. But in the 
neglected cases, when the dependant mass is already badly decom- 
X30sed, it is liable to tear across under the added weight, leaving a 
portion of the offensive material imprisoned in the womb. Again, 
this uncontrolled dragging upon a relaxed womb will (in exceptional 



218 DISEASES OE CATTLE. 

cases only, it is true) cause it to become everted and to protrude 
in this condition from the vulva. 

A second resort is to seize the dependant pai't of the afterbirth 
between two sticks, and roll it up on these until they lie against the 
vulva; then, by careful traction, accompanied by slight jerking move- 
ments from side to side, the Avomb is stimulated to expulsive contrac- 
tions and the afterbirth is wound up more and more on the sticks 
until finallj' its last connections with the womb a.re severed and tlie 
remainder is expelled suddenly en masse. It is quite evident that 
neglected cases with putrid membranes are poor subjects for this 
method, as the afterbirth is liable to tear across, leaving a mass in 
the womb. During the progress of th^ work any indication of tear- 
ing is the signal to stop and proceed with greater caution or alto- 
gether abandon the attempt in this way. 

The third method (that with the skilled hand) is the most promptly 
and certainlj^ successful. For this the olDerator had best strip and 
dress as for a parturition case. Again, the operation should beunder- 
taken within twenty-four hours after calving, since later the mouth 
of the womb may be so closed that it becomes difficult to introduce 
the hand. The operator should smear his arms with carbolized lard 
or vaseline to protect them against infection, and particularlj" in 
delayed cases with jiutrid membranes. An assistant holds the tail to 
one side while the operator seizes the hanging afterbirth with the left 
hand, while he introduces the right along the right side of the vagina 
and womb, letting the membranes slide through his palm until he 
reaches the first cotyledon to which they remain adherent. In case 
no such connection is within reach, gentle traction is made on the 
membranes with the left hand until the deeper parts of the womb are 
brought within reach and the attachments to the cotyledons can be 
reached. Then the soft projection of the membrane, which is attached 
to the firm fungus-shaped cotjdedon on the inner surface of the womb, 
is seized by the little finger, and the other fingers and thumb are closed 
on it so as to tear it out from its connections. To explain this it is 
only necessary to say that the projection from the membrane is cov- 
ered by soft conical x>rocesses, which are received into cavities of a 
corresponding size on the summit of the firm mushroom-shaped cotyle- 
don growing from the inner surface of the womb. To dz'aw upon the 
former, therefore, is to extract its soft villous processes from within 
the follicles or cavities of the other. (PL XIII, fig. 2.) If it is at 
times difiicult to start this extraction it may be necessary to get the 
finger nail inserted between the two, and once started the finger may 
be pushed on, lifting all the villi in turn out of their cavities. This 
process of separating the cotyledons must be carefully conducted, one 
after another, until the last has been detached and the afterbirth 
comes freelj^ out of the passages. I have never found any evil result 
from the removal of the whole mass at one operation, but Shaack 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 219 

mentions the eversion of the womb as the possible result of the nec- 
essaiy traction, and in cases in "which those in the most distant part 
of the horn of the womb can not be easily reached, he advises to attach 
a cord to the membranes inside the vulva, letting it hang* out behind, 
and to cut oif the membranes below the cord. Then, after two or 
three daj's' delay, he extracts the remainder, now softened and easily 
detached. If carefully conducted, so as not to tear the cotyledons of 
the womb, the operation is eminentlj' successful; the cow suffers little, 
and the straining roused by the manipulations soon subsides. Keej)- 
ing in a quiet, dark place, or driving a short distance at a walking 
pace, will serve to quiet these. When the membranes have been with- 
drawn, the hand, half closed, may be used to draw out of the womb 
the oifensive liquid that has collected. If the case is a neglected one, 
and the discharge is very offensive, the womb must be injected as for 
leucorrhea. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE VAGINA (VAGINITIS). 

This may occur independently of inflammation of the womb, and 
usually as the result of bruises, lacerations, or other injuries sustained 
during calving. It will be shown by swelling of the lips of the vulva, 
which, together with their lining membrane, become of a dark-red or 
leaden hue, and the mucovis discharge increases and becomes whitish 
or purulent, and it may be fetid. Slight cases recover sjjontaneously, 
or under warm fomentations or mild astringent injections (a teaspoon- 
ful of carbolic acid in a quart of water), but severe cases may go on 
to the formation of large sores (ulcers), or considerable portions of the 
mucous membrane may die and slough off. Baumeister records two 
cases of diphtheritic vaginitis, the second case in a cow four weeks 
calved, contracted from the first in a newly calved cow. Both proved 
fatal, with formation of false membranes as far as the interior of the 
womb. In all severe cases the antiseptic injections must be applied 
most assiduousl3^ The carbolic acid may be increased to one-half 
ounce to a quart, or chlorine water, or peroxide of hydrogen solution 
may be injected at least three times a da}'. Hyposulphite of soda, 1 
ounce to a quart of water, is an excellent application, and the same 
amount may be given by the mouth. 

LEUCORRHEA (MUCOPURULENT DISCHARGE FROM THE PASSAGES). 

This is due to a continued or chronic inflammation of the womb, or 
the vagina, or both. It usually results from injuries sustained in calv- 
ing, or from irritation by jjutrid matters in connection with retained 
afterbirth, or from the use of some object in the vagina (pessary) to 
prevent eversion of the womb. Exposure to cold or other cause of 
disturbance of the health may affect an organ so susceptible as this 
at the time of parturition so as to cause inflammation. 

Symptoms. — The main symptom is the glairy white discharge flow- 



220 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ing constantly or intermittonth' (when the cow lies down), soiling the 
tail and matting its hairs and those of the vulva. When the lips of 
the vulva are drawn apart the mucous membrane is seen to Ije red, 
with minute elevations, or pale and smooth. The health may not suffer 
at first, but if the discharge continues and is putrid the health fails, 
the milk shrinks, and flesh is lost. If the womb is involved the hand 
introduced into the vagina may detect the mouth of the womb slightly 
open and the liquid collected within its cavity. Examination with the 
oiled hand in the rectum maj'' detect the outline of the womb beneath, 
somewhat enlarged, and fluctuating under the touch from contained 
fluid. In some cases heat is more frequenb or intense than natural, 
but the animal rarely conceives when served, and, if she does, is likely 
to abort. 

Treabneni. — Treatment with the injections advised for vaginitis is 
successful in mild or recent cases. In obstinate ones stronger solu- 
tions maj' be used after the womb has been washed out by a stream 
of tepid water until it comes clear. A rubber tube is inserted into 
the womb, a funnel placed in its raised end, and the water, and after- 
wards the solution, poured slowly through this. If the neck ef the 
womb is so close that the liquid can not escape, a second tube may 
be inserted to drain it off. As injections may be used chloride of 
zinc, one-half dram to the quart of water, or sulphate of iron, 1 dram 
to the quart. Three drams of sulphate of iron and one-half ounce 
ground ginger may also be given in the food daily. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB (METRITIS, INFLAMMATION OF Vv'OMB 
AND ABDOMEN, OR METROPERITONITIS). 

Inflammation of the womb may be slight or violent, simple or asso- 
ciated with putrefaction of its liquid contents and general poisoning, 
or it may extend so that the inflammation affects the lining membrane 
of the whole abdominal cavit5^ In the last two cases the malady is a 
very grave one. 

Causes. — The causes are largely the same as those causing inflam- 
mation of the vagina. Greater importance must, however, be attached 
to exijosure to cold and wet and septic infection. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms appear tAvo or three days after calving, 
when the cow may be seen to shiver, or the hair stands erect, espe- 
cially along the spine, and the horns, ears, and limbs are cold. The 
temperature in the rectum is elevated b}^ one or two degrees, the pulse 
is small, hard, and rapid (70 to 100), appetite is lost, rumination 
ceases, and the milk shrinks in quantity or is entirel}^ arrested, and 
the breathing is hurried. The hind limbs may shift uneasily, the tail 
be twisted, the head and eyes turn to the right flank, and the teeth 
are ground. "With the flush of heat to tlie horns and other extremi- 
ties, there is redness of the ej'cs, nose, and mouth, and usually a dark 
redness about the vulva. Pressure on the right flank gives manifest 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 221 

pain, causing moaning or grunting, and the hind limbs are moved 
stiffly, extremely so if the general lining of the abdomen is involved. 
In severe cases the cow lies down and can not be made to rise. There 
is usually marked thirst, the bowels are costive, and dung is passed 
with i^ain and effort. The hand inserted into the vagina perceives 
the increased heat, and when the neck of the womb is touched the 
cow winces with pain. Examination through the rectum detects 
enlargement and tenderness of the womb. The discharge from the 
vulva is at first watery, but becomes thick, yellow, and finally red or 
brown, with a heavy or fetid odor. Some cases recover speedily and 
may be almost well in a couple of days; a large proportion perish 
within two days of the attack, and some merge into the chronic form, 
terminating in leucorrhea. In the worst cases there is local septic 
infection and ulceration, or even gangrene of the parts, or there is 
general septicemia, or the inflammation involving the veins of the 
womb causes coagulation of the blood contained in them, and the 
washing out of the clots to the right heart and lungs leads to blocking 
of the vessels in the latter and complicating pneumonia. Inflamma- 
tions of the womb and passages after calving are always liable to 
these complications, and consequently to a fatal issue. Franck 
records three instances of rapidly fatal metritis in cows, all of which 
had been poisoned from an adjacent cow with retained and putrid 
afterbirth. Others have had similar cases. 

Treatment. — Treatment in the slight cases of simple inflammation 
does not differ much from that adopted for vaginitis, only care must 
be taken that the astringent and antiseptic injections are made to 
Ijenetrate into the womb. After having washed out the womb a solu- 
tion of chloride of lime or permanganate of potash (one-half ounce to 1 
quart of water), with an ounce each of glj'cerin and laudanum to ren- 
der it more soothing, will often answer ever}' purpose. It is usually 
desirable to open the bowels with 1+ pounds Glauber's salts and 1 
ounce ginger in 4 quarts of warm water and to apply fomentations of 
warm water or even mustard poultices or turpentine to the right flank. 

In the violent attacks with high temperature and much prostration, 
besides the salts agents must be given to lower the temperature and 
counteract septic poisoning. Salicj^late of soda one-half ounce, or 
quinia 2 drams, repeated every four hours, will help in both ways, or 
ounce doses of hyposulphite of soda or dram doses of carbolic acid 
may be given at equal intervals until six doses have been taken. 
Tincture of aconite has often been used in 20-drop doses every six 
hours. If the temj)erature rises to 10G° or 107° F,, it must be met by 
the direct application of cold or iced water to the surface. The animal 
maybe covered with wet sheets and cold water poured on these at 
intervals until the temperature in the rectum is lowered to 102° F. 
In summer the cow may be allowed to dry spontaneously, while in 
winter it should be rubbed dry and blanketed. Even in the absence 



222 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of hiii-li temperature much good may l)e obtained from tlie soothing 
influence of a wet sheet covering the loins and flanks and well cov- 
ered at all points by a dry one. This may be followed next day by a 
free application of mustard and oil of turpentine. When the animal 
shows extreme i)rostration alcohol (1 pint) or carbonate of ammonia 
(1 ounce) may be given to tide over the danger, but such cases usually 
I)erish. 

In this disease, even more than in difficult and protracted parturi- 
tion or retained jjlacenta, the attendants must carefully guard against 
the infection of their hands and arms from the diseased j^arts. The 
hand and arm before entering the passages should always be well 
smeared with lard impregnated with carbolic acid. 

MILK FEVER (PARTURITION FEVER, PARTURIENT APOPLEXY, OR PAR- 
TURIENT collapse). 

This disease is not only peculiar to the cow, but it may be said to 
be virtually confined to the improved and plethoric cow. It further 
occurs only at or near the time of calving. Indeed, these two factors, 
calving and plethora, may be set apart as preeminently the causes of 
this disease. It is the disease of cows that have been improved in 
the direction of early maturity, power of rapid fattening, or a heavj'' 
yield of milk, and hence it is characteristic of those having great 
appetites and extraordinary power of digestion. The heavy milking 
breeds are especially its victims, as in these the demand for the daily 
yield of 50 to 100 pounds of milk means even more than a daily increase 
of 2 to 3 pounds of body weight, mainly fat. The victims are not 
always fat when attacked, but they are cows having enormous powers 
of digestion, and which have been fed heavily at the time. Hence 
the stall-fed, city dairy cow, and the farm cow on a rich clover pas- 
ture in June or July, are especially subject. The condition of the 
blood globules in the suffering cow attests the extreme richness and 
density of the blood, j^et this peculiarity appears to have entirely 
escaped the notice of veterinary writers. I have never examined the 
blood of a victim of this disease without finding the red-blood globules 
reduced to little more than one-half their usual size. Now, these 
globules expand or contract according to the densit}^ of the liquid in 
which they float. If we dilute the blood with water they Avill expand 
until they burst, whereas if solids, such as salt or albumen, are added 
they shrink to a large extent. Their small size, therefore, in j)arturi- 
tion fever indicates the extreme richness of the blood, or, in other 
words, plethora. 

Coufineinent in the stall is an accessor}^ cause, partly because stabled 
cattle are highly fed, partly' because the air is hotter and fouler, and 
l^artly because there is no expenditure by exercise of the rich i:»rod- 
ucts of digestion. 

High temperature is conducive to the malad}', though the extreme 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PAETURITION. 223 

colds of winter are no protection against it. Heat, however, concUices 
to fever, and fever means lessened secretion, which means a ijlethoric 
state of the circulation. The heats of summer are, however, often 
only a coincidence of the real cause, the mature rich pastures, and 
especiall}^ the clover ones, being the greater. 

Electrical disturhances have an influence of a similar kind, disturb- 
ing the functions of the body and favoring sudden variations in the 
circulation. A succession of cases of the ma,ladj' often accompany or 
precede a change of weather from dry to wet, from a low to a high 
barometric pressure. 

Costiveness, which is the usual concomitant of fever, may in a case 
of this kind become an accessor}' cause, the retention in the blood of 
what should have passed off by the bowels tending to increase the 
fullness of the blood vessels and the density of the blood. 

Mature age is a very strong accessor}^ cause. The disease never 
occurs with the first parturition, and rarely with the second. It 
appears with the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth — after the growth of the 
cow has ceased and when all her powers are devoted to the produc- 
tion of milk. 

Calving is an essential condition, as the disturbance of the circula- 
tion consequent on the contraction of the womb and the expulsion 
into the general circulation of the enormous mass of blood hitherto 
circulating in the walls of the womb fills to repletion the vessels of 
the rest of the body and verj^ greatly intensifies the already existing 
plethora. If this is not speedily counterbiilanced hj a free secretion 
from the udder, kidneys, bowels, and other excretorj^ organs, the most 
dire results may ensue. Calving may thus be held to be an exciting 
cause, and yet the labor and fatigue of the act are not active factors. 
It is after the easy calving, when there has been little expenditure of 
muscular or nervous energy, and no loss of blood, that this malad}' is 
seen. Difficult parturitions may be followed by metritis, but they are 
rarely connected with parturition fever. 

All these factors coincide in intensifj'ing the one condition of pleth- 
ora, and point to that as a most essential cause of this affection. It 
is needless to enter here into the much-debated question as to the 
mode in which the plethora brings about the characteristic symptoms 
and results. As the results show disorder or suspension of the nerv- 
ous functions mainly, it may suffice to saj" that this condition of the 
blood and blood vessels is incompatible with the normal functional 
activity of the nerve centers. How much is due to congestion of the 
brain and how much to bloodlessness may well be debated, yeX in a 
closed box like the cranium, in which the absolute contents can not 
be appreeiabl}' increased or diminished, it is evident that, apart from 
drojisical effusion or inflammatory exudation, there can only be a 
given amount of blood; therefore, if one portion of the brain is con- 
gested another must be proportionately bloodless, and as congestion 



224 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of the ej'es and head generally, and great heat of the head are most 
prominent features of the disease, congestion of the brain must be 
accepted. This, of course, implies a lack of blood in certain other 
parts or blood vessels. 

The latest developments of treatment indicate very clearly that the 
main cause is the production of poisonous metabolic products (leuco- 
mains and toxins) by secreting cells of the follicles of the udder, act- 
ing on the susceptible nerve centers of the plethoric, calving cow. 
Less fatal examples of udder poisons are found in the first milk (colos- 
trum), which is distinctly irritant and purgative, and in the toxic 
qualities of the first milk drawn from an animal which has been sub- 
jected to violent overexertion or excitement. Still more conclusive as 
to the production of such poisons is the fact that the full distention 
of the milk ducts and follicles, and the consequent driving of the 
blood out of the udder and arrest of the formation of depraved prod- 
ucts, determines a speedy and complete recovery from the disease. 
This does not exclude the other causes above named, nor the influ- 
ence of a reflex nervous derangement proceeding from the udder to 
the brain. 

Symptoms. — There may be said to be two extreme types of this dis- 
ease, with intervening grades. In both forms there is the characteris- 
tic plethora and more or less sudden loss of voluntary movement and 
sensation, indicating a sudden collapse of nervous power; but in one 
there is such prominent evidence of congestion of head and brain that 
it may be called the congestive form, par excellence, without thereb}^ 
intimating that the torpid form is independent of congestion. 

In the congestive form there is sudden dullness, languor, hanging 
back in the stall, or drooping the head, uneasy movements of the hind 
limbs or tail; if the cow is moved, she steps unsteadilj^, or even stag- 
gers; she no longer notices her calf or her food; the ej^es appear red 
and their puj)ils dilated; the weakness increases and the cow lies 
down or falls and is thenceforward unable to rise. At this time the 
pulse is usually full and bounding and the temperature raised, though 
not invariabl}^ so; the head, horns, and ears being especiallj' hot and 
the veins of the head full, while the visible mucous membranes of 
nose and eyes are deeply congested. 

The cow may lie on her breastbone with her feet beneath the body 
and her head turned sleepily round, with the nose resting on the right 
flank; or, if worse, she may be stretched full on her side, with even 
the head extended, though at times it is suddenly raised and again 
dashed back on the ground. At such times the legs, fore and hind, 
struggle convulsivel}^, evidently through unconscious nervous spasm. 
By this time the unconsciousness is usually complete; the ej^es are 
glazed, their pupils widely dilated, and their lids are not moved when 
the ball of the eya is touched with the finger. Pricking the skin with 
a pin also fails to bring any Avincing or other response. The pulse, 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITIOTT. 225 

at first from 50 to 70 per minute, becomes more accelerated and 
weaker as tlie disease advances. The breathing is quickened, becom- 
ing more and more so with the violence of the symptoms, and at first 
associated with moaning (in exceptional cases, bellowing), it may, 
before death, become slow, deep, sighing, or rattling (stertorous). 
The temperature, at first usually raised, tends -to become lower as 
stuj3or and utter insensibility and coma sui^ervene. The bowels, 
which may have moved at the onset of the attack, become torpid or 
completely paralyzed, and, unless in case of improvement, they are not 
likel}' to operate again. Yet this is the result of paralysis and not Of 
induration of the feces, as often shown by the semiliquid pultaceous 
condition of the contents after death. The bladder, too, is paralyzed 
and fails to expel its contents. A free action of either bladder or 
bowels, or of both, is always a favorable symptom. The urine con- 
tains sugar, in amount proportionate to the severity of the attack. 

In nearly all cases the torpor of the digestive organs results in gas- 
tric disorder; the paunch becomes the seat of fermentation, produc- 
ing gas, which causes it to bloat up like a drum. There are frequent 
eructations of gas and liquid and solid food, which, reaching the par- 
alyzed throat, pass in part into the windpipe and cause inflammations 
of the air x^assages and lungs. 

In the torpid form of the disease there is much less indication of 
fever or violence. There vaay be no special heat about the horns, 
ears, or forehead, nor any marked redness or congestion of the eyes 
or nose, nor engorgement of the veins of the head. The attack comes 
on more slowly, with apparent weakness of the hind limbs, dullness, 
drowsiness, suspension of rumination and appetite, and a general 
indifference to sui-rounding objects. Soon the cow lies down, or falls 
and is unable to rise, but for one or two days she ]nay rest on the 
breastbone and hold the liead in the flank without showing any disor- 
derly movements. Meanwhile there is is not only loss of muscular 
power and inability to stand, but also considerable dullness of vsensa- 
tion, pricking the skin producing no quick response, and even touch- 
ing the edge of the eyelids causing no very prompt winking. Unless 
she gets relief, however, the case develops all the advanced symptoms 
of the more violent form, and the animal perishes. 

In advanced and fatal cases of either form the insensibility becomes 
complete; no irritation of skin or eye meets any response; the qjq 
becomes more dull and glassy; the head rests on the ground or other 
object; unless prevented, the cow lies stretched fully on her side; the 
pulse is small, rapid, and finally imperceptible ; the breathing is slow, 
deep, stertorous, and the expirations accompanied by puffing out of 
the cheeks, and death comes quietly or with accompanying struggles. 

For such fatal disease prevention is of far more consequence than 
treatment. Among the most efficient preventives may be named a. 

8267—04 15 



226 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

spare diet (amounting to actual starvation in very plethoric, heav^^- 
milking cows) for a week before calving and at least four days after. 
A free access to salt and water is most important, as the salt favors 
drinking and the water serves to dilute the rich and dense blood. 
Iced water, however, is undesirable, as a chill may favor the onset of 
fever. A dose of Epsom salts (1 to 2 pounds) should be given twelve 
to twenty-four hours before calving is due, so that it may operate at 
or just before that Ret. In case calving has occurred unexpectedly 
in the heavj' milker, lose no time in giving the purgative thereafter. 
A most important precaution in the fleshy, plethoric cow, or in one 
that has been attacked at a jjrevious calving, is to avoid drawing any 
milk from the bag for twelve or twenty-four hours after calving. 
Breeders on the island of Jersey have found that this alone has almost 
abolished the mortalitj^ fi*om milk fever. If Epsom salts is not at 
hand use saltpeter (1 ounce) for several days. Daily exercise is also of 
importance, and, excepting in midsummer, when the heat of the sun 
maj' be injurious, the value of open air is unquestionable. Even in 
summer an open shed or shady grove is incomparably better than a 
close, stuffj^ stall. A rich pasture (clover especially), in late May, 
June, or July, when at its best, is to be carefully avoided. Better 
keep the cow indoors on dry straw with plenty of salt and water than 
to have access to such pastures. 

Old treatment. — If the cow is seen before she goes down, the 
abstraction of blood is demanded, and may usually be carried to the 
extent of 4 or even G quarts. The fullness and force of the pulse 
must determine the amount; if it is weak and rapid or scarcely per- 
ceptible the vein must be instantly closed, and it jnaj even be neces- 
sary' to give ammoniacal stimulants. If the cow is lying down, 
unable to rise, and, above all, if no winking is caused by touching the 
ej'eball, bleeding must be done, if at all, with great i^recaution. A 
pint or a quart maj be all that can be safely taken, and in case the 
pulse has been small and weak no more should be draM^u unless the 
pulse beat strengthens. The fatal collapse already threatening is 
often precipitated bj^ unguarded bleeding. The jugular vein may be 
opened as coming directly from the brain, and as the object is to 
lessen the density of the blood and the tension in the blood vessels 
without shock, it is not so essential to draw it in a full stream as in 
other cases of bloodletting. As the blood is withdrawn the place is 
speedily taken hy liquids (mainly water), absorbed from all available 
parts of the body, and thus the blood is helpfully diluted. 

It is a good practice to give a dose of purgative medicine (Epsom 
salts 2 pounds, carbonate of ammonia one-half ounce, nux vomica one- 
half dram). If it is absorbed it will find its way to the bowels and 
start active secretion, thereby relieving the plethora; if it is not 
absorbed it will do no harm. Enemas of warm water and soap or oil 
may be beneficiallj^ emijloyed. 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITIOlSr. 227 

Iced water or bags of ice to the lieatl (tied around the horns and 
covering the forehead and upper part of the neck) are of the ^'ery 
greatest value in cases in which the heat of the horns, ears, and head, 
tlie redness of the ej'es, and fixed dilatation of the pu^jils are marked 
features. Like bleeding, it may be uncalled for in those cases in 
which the heat and general congestion of the head are absent. 

In these congestive cases, too, benefit is often derived from large 
and frequent doses (20 drops every four hours) of tincture of aconite. 
It acts not alone as a sedative to the heart and circulation, but also by 
favoring a free circulation in the skin. In what ma}" be called the 
noncongestive cases it is of little avail. 

Harms claims excellent results from large doses of tartar emetic — 1 
ounce for the first dose, 3 drams more after four hours, and 2 drams 
after four hours. If absorbed it will act after the manner of aconite 
as a sedative by causing a free circulation in tlie skin. 

This increased circulation in the skin serves to draw awaj' blood 
from the internal organs, and thus to relieve the brain, and to secure 
the same result a variety of resorts are had with varying success in 
different cases. The api^lication of hot (almost scalding) Avater to the 
back and loins, or to the limbs, acts in this way. So do mustard plas- 
ters, frictions with oil of turx^entine, the prolonged movement over the 
pai-t of a hot smoothing iron with a thin cloth between it and the skin, 
or finally the application of strong liquor ammonia, covered up for 
fifteen minutes with a close rug. 

In cases with a high body temperature an excellent jAau is to v>-rap 
the whole body in a blanket slightlj' wrung out of cold water, and cover 
this closely at all points with dry blankets to exclude the air and pre- 
vent evaporation and cooling. In fifteen or twenty minutes a reaction 
will have taken place, the whole body will have been cooled somewhat 
hy the blood returning from the skin since the blanket was applied, and 
the free perspiration will now serve to relieve both by cooling and by 
carrying off waste matters from the blood. This may be rej^eated sev- 
eral times a day if the temperature rises again. In cold weather the 
skin should be rubbed dry on each occasion. 

A similar method of drawing off the blood from the brain is bj' fre- 
quent rubbing of the udder and drawing off the milk. 

In case of extreme prostration and weak j)ulse one-half ounce car- 
bonate of ammonia may be given, and repeated at the end of an hour 
or two if needed. It may be given as a roller-formed bolus made 
up with a very little flour to give it consistency, or if the cow can not 
swallow, it may be dissolved in water and poured through a probang 
(PL III, fig. 2), or tube, introduced into the stomach. 

Bloating of the left side (paunch) is a common and dangerous com- 
plication of the disease, as it at once aggravates the ijressure on the 
brain, partly bj^ expression of blood from the abdominal organs and 
partly by nervous action through the vagus and sympathetic nerves. 



228 • DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

It maj^ often be checked by the use of carbonate of ammonia; or 
hyposulpliite of soda (one-half ounce) may be suljstituted, or oil of 
turpentine (1 ounce). In obstinate cases the paunch should be punc- 
tured in the upper part of the left flank by a trocar and canula 
(PI. Ill, figs, 5a and 56) and the latter left in xolaee until it is no 
longer needed. 

Another most important precaution is to draw off the urine from 
the bladder several times a daj^, as a full bladder greatlj^ aggravates 
the case. 

A weak induction current of electricity may be sent through the 
brain for ten minutes at a time in eases of extreme insensibility, and 
through the affected limb in case of remaining paralysis. 

In the torpid or noncongestive form of the disease tlie treatment is 
the same as regards x>urgatives, stimulants, nux vomica, antiseptics 
for bloating, attention to the bladder and udder, counterirritants to 
spine or limbs, and even bleeding. The cold, wet sheets and even 
the ice to the head may often be dispensed with. 

One other precaution may bo named applicable to all cases, but 
especially so to the more distinctly congestive ones. This is to keep 
the head above the level of the body and prevent injury from the 
striking of it on the ground or other hard body. The cow is to be 
packed up with bundles or bags of straw against the shoulders and 
hips, so as to let her rest on her breast and belly with her limbs 
under her. Then the head and neck are to be similarly supported, 
so as to keep them elevated and give them a soft, yielding cushion if 
dashed from side to side. It may be even desirable to support the 
head by a rope round the horns, or a halter, the end of which is 
passed over a beam above. 

New treatment. — Treatment of milk fever has been completely revo- 
lutionized, with the result that a former mortality of 50 to 70 per cent 
has been practically abolished. Formerly the most vigorous treat- 
ment was practiced by bleeding, purging, the increase of peristalsis 
by eserine or pilocarpin, enemas, cold to the head, counterirritants, 
aconite, tartar emetic, sj)onging, wet-sheet packing, etc. The gross 
mortalit}^, however, was not materially reduced, and nearly all that 
were attacked within the first two days after calving i^erished. 

The first step in the modern treatment was made in 1807, when 
J. Schmidt published his successful treatment by the injection of the 
teats and milk ducts with a solution of iodide of potassium (1^ drams 
to 1 quart of water). This reduced the mortality to 17 per cent. 
Others followed this lead by the injection of other aiitiseptics (l^'sol, 
creolin, creosol, chinosol, common salt, etherized air, oxygen). 
These succeeded as well as the iodide solution. AVith the injection 
of gases, however, a fuller distention of the udder was usually 
secured, and virtually every case recovered. This suggested the full 
distention of the udder with common atmospheric air filtered and 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITIOlSr. 229 

sterilized, and this with the most perfect success. With sterile air 
Schmidt-Kolding claimed 90. 7 per cent recoveries in Ol-i cases. In 
America the full distention of the udder, whether with oxygen or fil- 
tered air, has proved invariabl}^ successful in all kinds of cases, includ- 
ing the violent ones that set in within a few hours after calving. In 
one or two hours after the injection the cow has got up, had free pas- 
sages from the bowels and bladder, bright exi^ression of countenance, 
and some return of a^jpetite. In my cases which had made no response 
for eight hours to the iodide injection, the injection of the udder to 
full repletion with the gas (oxygen or air) has had immediately bene- 
ficial results. 

A similar full distention of the bag with a common-salt solution 
(0.5 to 100), or even with well-boiled water, is equally effective, but in 
these eases the weight of the liquid causes dragging upon the udder 
and a measure of discomfort which is escaped under the treatment 
with gas. The value of each method depends on the fullness of dis- 
tention of the udder and the arrest in larger part of the circulation, 
and chemical changes in its tissues. This distention acts like magic, 
and seems to hardly admit of failure in securing a successful outcome. 

It can not, however, be recommended as absolutely devoid of dan- 
gers and serious complications. To get the best results it should be 
applied only by one who has been trained in the careful antiseptic 
methods of the bacteriological laboratory. Some readers will recall 
the case of the injection of the udders of show cows at Toronto to 
impose upon the judges. The cows treated in this way had the udders 
infected and ruined, and several lost their lives. There is no better 
culture medium for septic and other germs than the first milk (colos- 
trum) charged with albumen and retained in the warm udder. Already 
in the hands of veterinarians even the Schmidt treatment has jjroduced 
a small proportion of cases of infective mammitis. How many more 
such cases will develop if this treatment shall become a j)opular 
domestic resort, aj^ijlied b}^ the dairyman himself in all sorts of sur- 
roundings and with little or no antiseptic precaution. But even then 
the losses will Ijy no means approach the past mortality of 50 to 70 per 
cent, so that the economy will be immeasurable under even the worst 
conditions. A fair test and judgment of this treatment, however, can 
only be obtained when the administrator is a trustworthy and pains- 
taking man, well acquainted with bacteriological antisepsis and with 
the general and special pathology of the bovine animal. 

The necessary precautions may be summarized as follows : 

(1) Provide an elastic rubber ball and tubes, furnished with valves 
to direct the current of air, as in a common Davidson syringe. 

(2) Fill the delivery tube for a short distance with cotton, sterilized 
by prolonged heating in a wate;^" bath. 

(3) In the free end of the delivery tube fit a milking tube to be 
inserted into the teat. 



230 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

(4) Sterilize tliis entire apparatus bj'^ boiling for tliirtj" minutes, and, 
witliout touching the milking tube, wrap it in a towel that has been 
sterilized in a water bath or in live steam and dried. 

(5) Avoid drawing any milk from the teats; wash them and the 
udder thoroughly with warm soapsuds; rinse oif with well-boiled and 
cooled water, and apply to the teats, and especially to their tips, a 5 
per cent solution of creolin or lysol, taking care that the teats are not 
alloAved to touch any other body from the time they are cleansed until 
the teat tube is inserted. It is well to rest the cleansed and disin- 
fected udder on a sterilized pad of cotton or a boiled towel. 

(G) The injecting apparatus is unwrapped, the teat tube, seized by its 
attached end and kept from contact with any other body, is inserted 
into the teat, while an assistant working the rubber pumj^ fills the 
quarter as full as it will hold. The tube is now withdrawn and a 
broad tape is tied around the free end of the teat to prevent escape of 
the air. 

(7) The teat tube, which has been carefully preserved from possible 
contact with other bodies, is dipped in the creolin solution and inserted 
in a second teat, and the second quarter is inflated, and so with the 
third and fourth. 

(8) The recumbent cow is kept resting on her breast bone, with the 
head elevated, even if it should be necessarj^ to i^ack her around with 
straw bundles or to suspend the head by a halter. Lying on her side, 
she is liable to develoj) fatal bloating and to have belching of gas 
and liquids, which, passing down the windpipe, cause fatal broncho- 
pneumonia. 

(0) If in two hours the cow has not got on her feet, if there is no 
brighter or more intelligent expression, if she has j)assed no manure 
or urine, and if the air has become absorbed, leaving the udder less 
tense, the injection of the bag may be repeated, under the same scru- 
l^ulous and rigid precautions as at first. In all cases, but especially 
in severe ones, it is well to keep watch of the patie?it, and repeat the 
distention on the first indication of relapse. Should there not be a 
free discharge of feces and urine after rising, indicating a natural 
resumption of the nervous functions, the case should be all the more 
carefully watched, so that the treatment maj^ be repeated if necessary". 

Accessory treatment may still be emploj' ed, but is rarely necessary. 
A dose of purgative medicine (1^ pounds Epsom salts) in warm water 
maj' be given in the early stages, while as j'et there is no danger of its 
passing into the lungs through paralysis of the throat. Eserine or 
pilocarpine (1^} grains) may be given under the skin to stimulate the 
movements of the bowels. Sponging of the skin, and especially of 
the udder, with cool water may be resorted to in hot weather. 

Bloating maj^ demand jjuncture of tlie paunch, in tlie left flank, 
with a canula and trocar, the evacuation of the gas, and the intro- 
duction through the tube of a tablespoonful of strong liquid ammonia 
in a quart of cold water or other antiferment. 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PAETURITION. 231 

The economic value of the new treatment of milk fever is enormous. 
The United States has over 10,000,000 milch cows. If Ave could 
raise the quality of these by preserving and ^propagating the highest, 
heaviest, and richest milkers, in j)lace of losing the best bj' milk 
fever, as in the past, and if we could thus secure an average increase 
of 10 quarts a daj', the proceeds at 14^ cents a quart would reach 
$250,000,000 a year. 

PALSY AFTER CALVING (DROPPING AFTER CALVING). 

This consists in a more or less complete loss of control of the hind 
limbs occurring after calving, and due either to low condition, weak- 
ness, and exposure to cold or to injurious comi)ression of the nerves 
of the hind limbs by a largo calf passing through the pelvis. Its 
symptoms do not differ from those of palsy of the hind limbs, occur- 
ring at other times, and it may be treated in the same way, excepting 
so far as bruises of the vagina may demand special soothing treatment. 

CONGESTION OF THE UDDER ( GARGET). 

In heavy milkers, before and just after calving, it is the rule that 
the mammary gland is enlarged, hot, tense and tender, and that a 
slight exudation or past}^ swelling extends forward from the gland on 
the lower surface of the abdomen. This physiological congestion is 
looked upon as a matter of course, and disappears in two or three days 
when the secretion of milk has been fully established. This breaking 
up of the bag may be greatly hastened by the sucking of a hungry 
calf and the kneading it gives the udder with its nose, by stripping 
the glands clean thrice daily, and by active rubbing at each milking 
with the palm of the hand, with or without lard or, l:>etter, with cam- 
phorated ointment. 

The congestion may be at times aggravated by standing in a draft 
of cold air or by neglect to milk for an entire day or more (overstock- 
ing, hefting) with tlie view of making a great show of udder for i)ur- 
poses of sale. In such cases the surface of the bag pits on pressure, 
and the milk has a reddish tinge or even streaks of blood, or it is par- 
tially or fully clotted and is drawn with difficult}^ mixed, it may be, 
with a yellowish serum (whej^) which has separated from the casein. 
This should be treated like the above, though it may sometimes 
demand fomentations with warm water to ward off inflammation, and 
it may be a week before the natural condition of the gland is restored. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER (SIMPLE MAMMITIS). 

Congestion may merge into active inflammation, or it mny arise 
direct, in connection with exposure to cold or wet, with standing in a 
cold draft, with blows on the udder with clubs, stones, horns, or feet, 
with injury from a sharp or cold stone, or the projecting edge of a 



232 DISEASES OF CATTI,E. 

board or end of a nail in the floor, with sudden and extreme changes 
of weatiier, with overfeeding oh rich albuminous food like cotton seed, 
beans, or pease, witli indigestions, with sores on the teats, or with insuf- 
ficient stripping of the udder in milking. In the period of full milk 
the organ is so susceptible that any serious disturbance of the general 
health is liable to fall upon the udder. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms and mode of onset vary in different 
cases. When following exposure there is usually a violent shivering 
fit, with cold horns, ears, tail, and limbs, and general erection of the 
hair. This is succeeded by a flush of heat (reaction) in which the 
horns, ears, and limbs become unnaturally warm and the gland swells 
up and becomes firm and solid in one, two, three, or all four quarters. 
There is hot, dry muzzle, elevated temi^erature, full, accelerated pulse, 
and excited breathing, impaired or suspended appetite, and rumina- 
tion with more or less costiveness, suppression of urine, and a lessened 
yield of milk, which may be entirely suppressed in the affected 
quarter. 

In other cases the shivering escapes notice, the general disorder of 
the system is little marked or comes on late, and the first observed 
sign of illness is the firm swelling, heat, and tenderness of the bag. 
As the inflammation increases and extends, the hot, tender udder 
causes the animal to straddle with its hind limbs, and when walking 
to halt on the limb on that side. If the cow lies down it is on the 
unaffected side. With the increase in intensity and the extension of 
the inflammation the general fever manifests itself more prominentl3^ 
In some Instances the connective tissue beneath the skin and be- 
tween the lobules of the gland is affected, and then the swelling is 
uniformly rounded and of nearly the same consistenc}', pitting every- 
where on pressure. In other cases it primarily attacks the secreting 
tissue of the gland, and then the swelling is more localized and 
aj^pears as hard, nodular masses in the interior of the gland. This 
last is the usual form of inflammation occurring from infection enter- 
ing b}^ the teats. 

In all cases, but especially in the last-named form, the milk is sup- 
pressed and replaced by a watery fluid colored with blood (sometimes 
deeply) and mingled with masses of clotted casein. Later it becomes 
white and purulent, and in many cases of an offensive odor. 

The course of the disease is sometimes so rapid and at others so 
slow that no definite rule can be laid down. In two or three days, or 
from that to the end of the week, the bag may soften, lose its heat and 
tenderness, and subside into the health}- condition, even resuming the 
secretion of milk. The longer the inflammatory hardness continues 
the greater tlie probability that its complete restoration will not be 
effected. When a j)ortion of the gland fails to be restored in this 
way, and has its secretion arrested, it usually shrinks to a smaller 
size. More commonlj^ a greater amount of the inflammatory product 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 233 

remains in the gland and develops into a solid fibrous mass, causing 
permanent hardening (induration). In other eases, in place of the 
j)roduct of inflammation develoinng into a fibrous mass, it softens and 
breaks down into the white creamy liquid pus (abscess). This abscess 
nia}^ make its way to the surface and escape externally, or it may 
burst into a milk duct and discharge through the teat. It may break 
into both and establish a ('hannel for the escape of milk (fistula). In 
the worst types of the disease gangrene may ensue, a quarter or half 
or even the whole udder, losing its vitality, and sloughing off if the 
cow can bear up against the depressing influence. These gangrenous 
cases are probably alwaj^s the result of infection and sometimes run 
a very rai)idly fatal course. I recall one to which I was called as 
soon as the owner noticed it, 3'et I found one quarter dark blue, cold, 
and showing a tendency to the formation of blebs containing a bloody 
secretion. The cow, which had waded through a depth of semiliquid 
manure to reach her stall, died within twenty-four hours. 

Treatment. — Treatment will vary with the type and the stage of the 
disease. If the case is seen in the shivering fit, every effort should 
be made to cut that short, as the inflammation may be thereb}^ greatly 
moderated, if not checked. Copious drinks of warm water thrown in 
from horn or bottle; equally copious warm injections; the application 
of heat in some form to the surface of the body (by a rug wrung out 
of hot water; by hanging over the back and loins bags loosely filled 
with bran, sand, salt, chaff', or other agent previously heated in a 
stove; by the use of a flatiron or the warming of the surface by a hot- 
air bath), or by active friction with straw wisps by two or more 
j)ersons; the administration of a pint of strong alcoholic liquor, or of 
1 ounce of ground ginger, may serve to cut short the attack. After 
half an hour's sweat rub dry and cover with a dry blanket. 

If, on the other hand, thei-e is little or no fever, and onlj^ a slight 
inflammation, rub well with camphorated ointment or a weak iodine 
ointment, and milk three, four, or six times a day, rubbing the bag 
thoroughl}^ each time. Milking must be done with great gentleness, 
squeezing the teat in place of pulling and stripping it, and if this 
causes too much pain, the teat tube (PI. XXIV, fig. 4) or the spring 
teat dilator (PI. XXIV, fig. 3) may be employed. Antiseptic injections 
of tlie teats and udder are often useful, and iodoform in water has 
been especiallj^ recommended. It may be replaced by one of the 
injections advised for parturition fever, used with the same careful 
precautions. 

In cases in which the fever has set in and the inflammation is more 
advanced, a dose of laxative medicine is desirable (Epsom salts, 1 to 2 
pounds; ginger, 1 ounce), which maybe followed, after the purging 
has ceased, by daily doses of saltpeter, 1 ounce. Many rely on cooling 
and astringent applications to the inflamed quarter (vinegar, sugar-of- 
lead lotion, cold water, ice, etc.), but a safer and better resort is con- 



234 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tinued fomentation with warm water. A bucket of warm water, 
replenished as it cools, may be set beneath the ndder, and two persons 
can raise a rug out of this and hold it against the vidder, dipping it 
anew whenever the heat is somewhat lost. Or a sheet may be passed 
around the bod}', with four holes cut for the teats and soft rags i)acked 
betAveen it and the udder, and kept warm by pouring on water as warm 
as the hands can bear every ten or fifteen minutes. When this has 
been kept up for an hour or two the bag may be dried, well rubbed 
with soap, and left thus with a soapj^ coating. If the pain is great, 
extract of belladonna may be applied along with the soap, and a drj^ 
suspensory bandage with holes for the teats may be applied. Strong 
mercurial ointment is very useful in relieving pain and softening the 
bag. This is especiallj^ valuable when the disease is protracted and 
induration threatens. It may be mixed with an equal amount of 
soap and half the amount of extract of belladonna. In cases of threat- 
ened induration excellent results are sometimes obtained from a 
weak induction current of electricit}' sent through the gland daily for 
ten minutes. 

If aJjscess threatens it ma}' be favored by fomentation and opened 
as soon as fluctuation from finger to finger shows the formation of 
matter at a point formerly hard. The wound maj^ bleed freely, and 
there is a risk of opening a milk duct, yet relief Avill be secured, and 
a dressing twice dail}^ with a l-otion of carbolic acid, 1 i^art, water, 20 
parts, and glycerine, 1 part, will suffice to keep the wound clean and 
healthy. 

Gangrene of the. affected part is often fatal. It demands antisep- 
tics (chloride of zinc, 1 dram to 1 quart water) applied frequently to 
the part, or, if the case can not be attended, smear the affected quar- 
ter with melted Venice turpentine, or even wood tar. Antiseptic 
tonics (tincture of muriate of iron, 4 drams) may also be given four 
times dail}' in a quart of water. 

CONTAGIOUS MAMMITIS (CONTAGIOUS INFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER). 

As stated in the last article, that form of inflammation of the udder 
which attacks the gland ducts and follicles, causing deep-seated, hard, 
nodular swellings, is often contagious. Franck has demonstrated 
this by injecting into the milk ducts in different cows (milking and 
dry) the pus from the bags of cows affected with mammitis, or the 
liquids of putrid flesh, or putrid blood, and in every case he produced 
acute i]iflanimation of the gland tissue within twentj^-four hours. 
He thinks that in ordinary conditions the septic germ gains access by 
propagating itself through the milk, filling the milk cana^l and oozing 
from the external orifice. He points to this as a reason why drj- cows 
escape the malady, though mingling freely with the sufferers, and 
why such dry cows do not suffer from inflammation of the gland tissue 
when attacked with foot-and-moutli disease. In this last case it is 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 235 

evident that it is not sinipl}' the iuocubition "vvith the milkers hand 
that is lacking, for the skin of the bag is attacked, but not its secret- 
ing glandular parts. Now that in uny case of abscess we look for tlie 
cause in the chain forms of globular bacteria {Sirejitococcus pyogenes), 
in the cluster form of white globular bacteria {Stapliylococcus pyogenes 
albus), and in the golden and citron-yellow forms of clustered globu- 
lar bacteria {Slajjhylococcus pyogenes aureus and SfapliyJococcus 
pyogenes citreus), the formation of pus gives presumptive evidence 
of the action of one or more of these germs. So in cases of mortifica- 
tion of the bag; in the verj^ occurrence there is fair circumstantial 
evidence of the presence of erj^sipelas micrococcus or other germ 
which kills the local tissues. Again, in tuberculosis affecting the bag 
(a not uncommon condition)^ the active local cause is without doubt 
the tubercle bacillus. 

It has been found that false membranes have formed in certain 
cases of mammitis in the cow, and Klein, after inoculating the diph- 
theria of man on the cow, found an ulcerous sore in the seat of inoc- 
ulation and blisters on the teats and udder, in which he found what 
he believed to be the bacillus of diphtheria. The results are doubt- 
ful, even in the absence of false membranes. Loffler, too, in the 
diphtheria of calves, found that the germ was more delicate and 
longer than that of man, and that its pathogenesis for rodents was 
less, guinea pigs liaving only a nonfatal abscess. The presence of 
false membranes in one form of mammitis in cows does not neces- 
saril}' imj)ly its communicabilitj" to man. 

It has been claimed that scarlet fever has been transmitted from 
the cow to man, and it can not be denied that in many cases the infec- 
tion has been disseminated through the milk. The facts, however, 
when brought out fullj" have shown that in almost everj- case the 
milk had first come in contact with a person suffering or recovering 
from scarlet fever, so that the milk was infected after it left the cow. 
The alleged exceptional eases at Hendon and Dover, England, are 
not conclusive. Li the Ilendon outbreak inoculations were made on 
calves from the slight eruption on the cow's teats, and they had a 
slight eruption on the lips and a form of inflammation of the kidneys, 
which Doctor Klein thought resembled that of scarlatina. The cows 
that had brought the disease to the Hendon dairies were traced back 
to Wiltshire, and cows were found there suffering from a similar mal- 
ady, but there was no sign of scarlet fever resulting. In the Dover 
outbreak, the dairyman first denied any disease in his cows, and 
brought the certificate of a veterinarian to prove that they were sound 
at the time of the investigation ; then later he confessed that the cows 
had had foot-and-mouth disease, and consequent eruption on the teats 
some time before. So the question remains whether the man who 
denied sickness in the cows to begin with, and adduced professional 
evidence of this, did not later acknowledge the foot-and-mouth dis- 



236 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ease as a blind to hide the real source of the trouble in scarlatina in 
his own family or the family of an emploj^ee. 

In America Doctor Stickler claimed that he had produced scarlatina 
in cliildren by inoculation with imported virus of foot-and-mouth dis- 
ease, but his contention is negatived hj the facts that with foot-and- 
mouth disease constantlj^ present in Europe scarlatina does not accom- 
pany it, and that in America, with scarlatina constantly prevailing at 
some point, foot-and-mouth disease is unknown except at long inter- 
vals locally and as the result of the importation of infected animals 
or their products. Man is susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, but 
this never appears during the frequent epidemics of scarlatina. 

Among other contagious forms of mammitis I maj^ name one which 
I have encountered in large dairies, starting as a sore and slight swell- 
ing at the opening of the teat and extending nj) along the milk duct 
to the gland structure in the bag, all of wliicli become indurated, nodu- 
lar, and painful. The milk is entirely suppressed in that quarter of 
the bag, and from that it may extend to the others as it does from 
cow to cow through the milker's hands. 

Another form almost universally prevalent in this district of cen- 
tral New York in 1889 broke out over the teats and udder as blisters 
stronglj^ resembling cowpox, but which were not propagated when 
inoculated on calves. It was only exceptionally that this extended 
through the teat to the gland tissue, yet in some instances the bag 
was lost from this cause. Scarlatina in man was very prevalent at 
the time (many schools were closed in consequence), but no definite 
connection seemed to exist between this and the cow disease, and on 
different dairy farms there were families of young children that had 
never had scarlet fever and wlio did not at that time contract it. 

The most common cause of contagious mammitis in cattle is a 
spherical bacterium in cliain form {Streptococcus). (Moore, Ward.) 
Yet it is clear that contagious mammitis is not a single affection, but 
a group of diseases which have this in common, that thej^ attack the 
udder. 

Prevention. — Prevention is to be especially sought in all such cases. 
In purchasing new cows see that they come from a herd Avhere the 
teats and udder are sound. If a new cow with unknown antecedents 
comes from a public market, let her be milked for a week by a person 
who does not milk any other cows. Keep her in a separate stall from 
others, so that there may be no infection from litter or flooring. 
Wash the udder with soap and water, and wet with a solution of two 
teaspooiifuls carbolic acid in a pint of water before letting the regular 
milker of the otlier cows take her. If any cow in the herd shows the 
indurated end of the teat or the inflammation and nodular tender 
character of the gland, separate her at once and give her a separate 
milker. If another cow is to be put into the stall she occupied, first 
clean and scrape it, and Avet it with a strong solution of bluestone, 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 237 

5 ounces in a gallon of water. The milk may be drawn off with a 
teat tube, or spring; teat dilator (PL XXIV, figs. 3 and 4), and the 
milk ducts injected frequently with a solution of peroxide of hydro- 
gen or iodoform. I have had little success in checking the upward 
progress of the disease through the teat with carbolic acid or boracic 
acid solutions. Used on the outside of the other teats, however, 
these may serve to prevent them from becoming infected. In the 
absence of peroxide of hydrogen the affected teat may be injected 
with a solution of 1 grain corrosive sublimate in a pint of water, 
and the same may be used on-the other teats, provided it is washed 
oft" ever}^ time before milking. 

As additional precautions, no cow with a retained afterbirth or 
unhealthy discharge from the womb should be left with the other 
cows. Such cows doubtless infect their own udders and those of the 
cows next them by lashing with the soiled tail. If milkers handle 
retained afterbirth or vaginal discharge, or unhealthy wounds, or 
assist in a difficult and protracted parturition, they should wash the 
hands and arras thoroughly with soap and warm water and then rub 
them with the corrosive sublimate solution, or if not, at least with 
one of carbolic acid. Clothes stained with such offensive products 
should be washed. 

The general treatment of contagious mammitis does not differ from 
that of the simple form, except that antiseptics should be given by 
the mouth as well as apjilied locally (hyposulphite of soda, one-half 
ounce daily). 

COWPOX, 

This is another f oi'm of contagious inflammation of the udder which 
does not sj^read readily from animal to animal except by the hands 
of the milker. It is held to occur spontaneously in the cow, but this 
is altogether improbable, and so-called spontaneous cases are rather 
to be looked on as instances in which the germs have been preserved 
dry in the buildings or introduced in some unknown manner. It is 
not uncommon in the horse, attacking the heels, the lips, or some 
other inoculated part of the body, and is then easily transferred to 
the cow, if the same nuin grooms and dresses the horse and milks the 
cow. It may also appear in the cow by infection, more or less direct, 
from a person who has been successfully vaccinated. Many believe 
that it is only a form of the smallpox of man modified by ijassing 
through the system of cow or horse. It is, however, unreasonable to 
suppose that this alleged modified smallpox could have been trans- 
mitted from child to child (the most susceptible of the human race) 
for ninety years, under all possible conditions, without once revert- 
ing to its original type of smallpox. Chauveau's exj)eriments on both 
cattle and horses with the virus of smallpox and its inoculation back 
on the human subject go far to show that in the climate of western 



238 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Europe, at least, no such trausformation takes place. Smallpox 
remaius smallpox ami cowpox, cowpox. Again, smallpox is com- 
municable to a person who visits the patient in his room but avoids 
touching him, while cowj^ox is never thus transferred through the air 
unless deliberately diffused in the form of SDraj'. The demonstration 
of a protozoan germ in smallpox imj)lies a similar microbe in cowpox. 

The disease in the cow is ushered in by a slight fever, which, how- 
ever, is usuall}^ overlooked, and the first sign is tenderness of the teats. 
Examined, these may be redder and hotter than normal, and at the end 
of two days there appear little nodules*, like small peas, of a pale-red 
color, and increasing so that they may measure three-fourths of an inch 
to 1 inch in diameter by the seventh day. The yield of milk diminishes, 
and when heated it coagulates slightly. From the seventh to the tenth 
day the eruption forms into a blister with a depression in the center 
and raised margins, and from which the whole of the liquid can not be 
drawn out by a single puncture. The blister, in other words, is cham- 
bered, and each chamber must be opened to evacuate the whole of the 
contents. If the i)Ock forms on a surface where there is thick hair, it 
does not rise as a blister, but oozes out a straw-colored fluid which con- 
cretes on the hairs in an amber-colored mass. In one or two daj^s after 
the pock is full it becomes yellow from contained i3us, and then dries 
into a brownish yellow scab, which finally falls, leaving one or more 
distinct pits in the skin. Upon the teats, however, this regular course 
is rarely seen; the vesicles are burst by the hands of the milker as soon 
as liquid is formed, and as the}^ continue to suffer afc each milking they 
form raw, angry sores, scabbing more or less at intervals, but slow to 
undergo healing. 

The only treatment required is to heal the sores; and as milking is 
the main cause of their persistence, that must be done as gentlj^ as 
possible, or even with the teat tube* or dilator. (PI. XXI Y, figs. 3 and 4. ) 
It is essential to check the propagation of the germ, and for this pur- 
pose the sore teats ma,y be washed frequentl}^ with a solution of half 
an ounce hyposulphite of soda in a pint of water. This will usually 
check the inflammation and cut short the malady. 

SUPPRESSION OF MILK. 

Tl\e absence of milk in the udder may result from ill health, debilitj^ 
emaciation, chronic disease of the bag, wasting of the gland from pre- 
vious disease, or insufficient food, but sometimes it will occur suddenly' 
without any axjpreciable cause. The treatment will consist in remov- 
ing the cause of the disease, feeding well on rich albuminoid food made 
into warm mashes, and giving ounce doses of aromatic carminatives, 
like anise-seed, fennel-seed, etc. Rubbing and stripping the udder 
are useful; and the application of oil of lavender or of turpentine, or 
even a blister of Spanish flies, Mill sometimes succeed. 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 239 

BLOODY MILK. 

Blood may escape witli tlie milk wlieu tlie udder has beeia injured 
by blows, also wlieu it is congested or inflamed, when the circulation 
through it has been suddenly increased hy richer and more abundant 
food, or when the cow is under the excitement of heat. The milk 
frothing up and assuming a pink tinge is often the first sign of red- 
water, and it may result from eating acrid or irritant plants, like the 
Ranunculacete, resinous plants, etc. Deposits of tubercle or tumors 
in the udder, or induration of the gland, may be efficient causes, the 
irritation caused bj^ milking contributing to draw the blood. Finall}^, 
there may be a reddish tinge or sediment when madder or logwood has 
been eaten. 

In milk which becomes red after it is drawn it may be due to the 
l^resence in it of the Micrococcus iirodigiosus. This also grows on 
bread, and is the explanation of the supposed miracle of the "bleed- 
ing host." 

The treatment will vary with the cause. In congested glands give 
1 pound of Epsom salts, and daily thereafter one-half ounce saltpeter, 
with a dram of chlorate of i)otash ; bathe the bag with hot or cold 
water, and rub with camphorated lard. If the food is too rich or 
abundant it must be reduced. If from acrid plants these must be 
removed from pasture or fodder. Induration of the udder may be 
met by rubbing with a combination of iodine ointment 1 part, soft 
soap 2 parts; or mercurial ointment and soap maj' be used. Careful 
milking is imperative. 

BLUE MILK. 

AVatery milk is blue, but the presence of a germ {Bacillus cyanogens) 
causes a distinct blue shade even in rich milk and cream. It may 
reach the m-ilk after it has been drawn, or it may find its way into the 
oiDcning of the milk ducts and enter the milk as it is drawn. In the 
latter case, frequent milking and the injection into the teats of a solu- 
tion of 2 drams of liyposulphite of soda in a pint of water will serve 
to destroy them. 

STRINGY MILK. 

This may be caused bj' fungi developing in the liquid, and that the 
spores are present in the system of the cow may be safelj" inferred 
from the fact that in a large herd two or three coavs only will yield 
such milk at a time, and that after a run of ten days or a fortnight 
they will recover and others will be attacked. I have found that such 
affected cows had the temperature raised one or two degrees above the 
others. Like most other fungi this does not grow out into filaments 
within the body of the cow, but in five or six hours after milking the 
surface laj^ers are found to be one dense network of filaments. If a 
needle is dipped in this and lifted, the liquid is drawn out into a long 



240 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

thread. In one ease which I investigated near Ithaca, N. Y., the 
contamination was manifestly due to a spring which oozed out of a 
bank of black muck soil and stood in pools mixed with the dejec- 
tions of the animals. Inoculation of pure milk with the water as it 
flowed out of this bank developed in it the fungus and the string}^ 
characters. By fencing in this spring and giving the affected cows 
each 2 drams bisulphite of soda daily, the trouble was arrested 
promi)tly and permanently. 

CHAPPED TEATS. 

These may be caused by anything which irritates them. The power- 
ful sucking of the calf, the sudden chilling of the teat in winter after 
the calf has just let it go or after the completion of milking with a 
wet hand ; contact with cold water, or stagnant putrid water, or with 
filth or irritants when lying down; slight congestions of the skin in 
connection with overstocking, and, indeed, any source of local irrita- 
tion may cause chap]3ing. This may be slight or extend into great 
gaping sores and induce retention of milk or even mammitis. Sooth- 
ing applications of vaseline, or a combination of equal parts of sper- 
maceti and oil of sweet almonds may be api3lied. If healing is tardy, 
add 10 grains balsam of Peru to the ounce of ointment. If the irri- 
tation is very great, wash first with a solution of 1 dram sugar of lead 
in 1 pint of water, and then apply benzoated oxide of zinc ointment. 

WARTS ON THE TEATS. 

These are often very troublesome, yet they may be greatly benefited 
or entirely removed by smearing them thickly after each milking witli 
pure olive oil. If tliey persist they may be cut off with a sharp pair 
of scissors and the sore touched with a stick of lunar caustic. They 
may now be oiled and the caustic repeated as demanded to prevent 
their renewed growth. 

Scabby teats may be smeared with vaseline containing enougli car- 
bolic acid to give it an odor. 

TEAT BLOCKED BY CONCRETION OF CASEIN. 

Under unhealthy conditions of the gland or milk ducts, clots of 
casein form, and these, pressed clear of most of their liquid and rolled 
into rounded masses, may block the passage. They can be moved up 
and down by nuinipulation of the teat, and if they can not be pressed 
out they may be extracted by using the spring teat dilator (PI. XXIV, 
fig. 3), being held surrounded by its three limbs. Before extraction 
is attempted an ounce of almond oil, previously boiled, should be 
injected into the teat. 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 241- 

TEAT BLOCKED BY CALCULUS. 

When the culcareous matter of the inilk has been precipitated in 
the form of a smooth, rounded stone, a rough congh^merated concre- 
tion, or a fine, sand-like debris, it may cause obstruction and irrita- 
tion. These bodies are felt to be much harder than those formed by 
casein, and the milk usualh' contains gritty particles. Extraction 
may be attempted by simple milking in the case of the finely divided 
gritty matter, or with the spring dilator (PL XXIV, fig. 3) in the case 
of the larger masses. Should this fail the teat may be laid open Avith 
the knife and sewed up again or closed with collodion, but such an 
operation is best deferi-ed until the cow is dry. 

TEAT BLOCKED BY A WARTY OR OTHER GROWTH INSIDE. 

In this case the obstruction may be near tlie orifice of the teat or 
higher up, and the solid mass is not movable up and down with the 
same freedom as are concretions and calculi. The movement is lim- 
ited by the elasticity of the inner membrane of the teat from Avhich it 
grows, and is somewhat freer in certain cases because the growth has 
become loose and hangs by a narrow neck. In the case of the looser 
growths they may be snared by a fine spring wire passed as a loop • 
through a fine tube (like a teat tube open at each end), and introduced 
into the teat. When this can not be done, the only resort is to cut ■ 
in and excise it while the cow is dry. 

THICKENING OP THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE AND CLOSURE OP THE^ 

MILK DUCT. 

As a result of inflammation extending from without inward, a 
gradual narrowing of the milk duct may occur from thickening and 
narrowing of its lining membrane. This may be limited to a small 
area' near the lower end, or it may extend through the whole length 
of the teat. The stream of milk becomes finer and finer until it 
finally ceases altogether, and a firm cord is felt running through the 
teat. If the constriction is onlj^ at the outlet, the teat ma}^ be seized 
and distended by pressing the milk down into it from above, and an. 
incision may be made with a sharp penknife in two directions at right 
angles to each other and directly in the original opening. The knife ■ 
should be first cleansed in boiling water. The opening may be kept ■ 
from closing by a dumb-bell shaped bougie of guttapercha (PI. XXIV, . 
fig. 5) or b}" the spring dilator. If the obstruction is more extended 
it maj' be perforated by Liithi's perforating sound. (PI. XXIV, fig; 
1« and lb.) This is a steel wire with a ring at one end, and at the 
other is screwed on to the wire a conical caj) with sharp cutting edges 
at the base, which scrapes away the thickened masses of cells as it is- 
drawn back. This may be passed again and again to sufficiently,'' 

8267—04 16 



242 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

enlarge the passage, and then the passage may be kept open by Avear- 
iug a hjng dumb-bell bougie, a thick piece of carbolized catgut, or a 
spring dilator. If the passage can not be sufficiently opened with the 
sound it may be incised by the hidden bistoury. (PI. XXI Y, fig, 2.) 
This is a knife lying alongside a flattened i)rotector with smooth 
rounded edges, but which can be projected to any required distance 
by a lever on the handle. The incisions are made in four directions 
and as deep as may be necessary, and the walls can then be held 
apart by the spring dilator until they heal. In case the constriction 
and thickening of the canal extend the whole length of the teat, it is 
practicall}'' beyond remedj^ as the gland is usually involved so as to 
render it useless. 

CLOSURE OF THE MILK DUCT BY A MEMBRANE. 

In this form the duct of the teat is closed by the constriction of its 
lining membrane at one point, usually without thickening. The clos- 
ure usually takes place while the cow is dry ; otherwise its progress is 
gradual, and for a time the milk may still be pressed through slowly. 
In such a case, if left at rest, the lower x^art of the teat fills up and the 
milk flows in a full stream at the first pressure, but after this it will 
not fill up again without sufficient time for it to filter through. This is 
to be cut open by the hidden bistoury (PL XXIA", fig. 2), which may 
be first passed through the opening of the membrane, if such exists. 
If not it maj' be bored through, or it may be in-essed uj) against the 
membrane at one side of the teat and opened toward the center, so as 
to cut its way through. Incisions should be made in at least two 
opposite directions, and the edges may be then held apart by wearing 
the spring dilator until healing has been completed. 

In all cases of oj^erations on the teats the instruments must l)e thor- 
oughly disinfected with hot water, or by dipi^ing in carbolic acid and 
then in water that has been boiled. 

OPENING IN THE SIDE OF THE TEAT (mILK FISTULA). 

This ma}' occur from wounds penetrating the milk duct and failing 
to close, or it may be congenital, and then very often it leads to a dis- 
tinct milk duct and an independent portion of the gland. In the first 
form it is only necessary to dissect away the skin leading into the open- 
ing for some distance down, to close the orifice with stitches, and to 
cover the whole with collodion. A teat tube or spring dilator may be 
worn to drain off the milk and prevent distention and reopening of the 
orifice. In case of an independent milk duct and gland one of two 
courses may bo selected — to oi>en the one duct into the other by inci- 
sion and then close the offending opening, or to inject the superfluous 
gland through its duct with a caustic solution, so as to destroy its 
secreting power. In both cases it is desirable to wait until the cow 
goes dry. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXII. 




PnmriHt Ct. Bctreii. 



Supports for Prolapsed Uterus. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXIII. 




Supports for Prolapsed Uterus. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXIV. 




Instruments. 



DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

Plates XXII, XXIII: 

Ilhistrate various appliances used in prolapse or inversion of the uterus. Tlie 
uterus should first be returned to its proper situation and then some appa- 
ratus applied to prevent a recurrence of the inversion or protrusion. 
Plate XXII: 

Fig. 1. Crupper, strap truss — taken from Hilfs Bovine Medicine and Surgery. 

Fig. 2. Renault's rope truss. The rope for this truss should be from 35 to 30 
feet long and about the thickness of the little finger. 
Plate XXIII: 

Fig. 1. Cow to which Delwarfs rope truss has been applied. 

Fig. Irt. Shows the loop of Delwarfs truss. 

Fig. 2. Zundel's labial sutures. These consist of two wires passed through 
the lips of the vulva in a horizontal direction, and two additional wires 
passed through the loops at the ends of the horizontal wires in order to 
hold them in place. 

Fig. 3. Iron truss for holding the vagina or uterus in place after calving. 
The cords are passed through the eyes at the corners of the triangular 
iron; the base of the triangle fits under the tail. The truss is from 5 to 7 
inches long and about 2i inches wide. 
Plate XXI Y: 

Fig. 1. Liithi's perforating sound, for opening the milk canal through the 
teat when this has become occluded; A, the sound one-half the natural 
siae; B, section of head of sound, natural size, showing cutting edge. 

Fig. 2. Bistouri cache. A blade hidden in its sheath which by pressure of the 
finger may be made to protrude a certain distance. This distance is 
regulated by the screw near the handle. The instrument is used to open 
the milk canal when closed up. It is introduced into the milk canal with 
its blade in the sheath and withdrawn with the blade protruding. 

Fig. 3. Spring teat dilator, about one-half natural size, for dilating^ the milk 
canal. 

Fig. 4. Ring teat syphon, for withdrawing milk when the teat is sore or 
in j lire d. 

Fig. 5. Guttapercha bougie, for dilating the opening of the teat. 

Fig. 6. Truss applied to calf for umbilical, or navel, hernia. From Fleming's 
Veterinary Obstetrics. 

Fig. 7. Amiatage's iron clam for umbilical, or navel, hernia. When this clam 
is applied care must be taken not to include a portion of the bowel. 

243 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 

By James Law, F. R. C. V. S.. 
Professoi^ of Veterinary Science, etc., in Cornell University. 

SUSPENDED BREATHIN<4. 

The moment the circulation through the navel string is stoj)ped the' 
blood of the calf begins to get overcharged with carbon dioxide (CO^), 
and unless breathing is speedily established death promptlj^ follows. 
Fortunately the desire to breathe, roused by the circulation of the 
venous blood and the reflex action from the wet and chilling skin, 
usually at once starts the contractions of the diaphragm and life is 
insured. Among the obstacles to breathing maj' be named suffoca- 
tion before or during birth from compression of the navel cord and 
the arrest of its circulation; the detachment of the fetal membranes 
from the womb before the calf is born; a too free communication 
between the two auricles of the heart (foramen ovale) by which the 
nonaerated blood has mixed too abundantly with the aerated and 
induced debility and profound weakness; a condition of ill health 
and debility of the calf as a result of semistarvation, overwork, or 
disease of the cow; fainting in such debilitated calf when calving has 
been difficult and prolonged; the birth of the calf with its head envel- 
oped in the fetal membranes, so that it has been unable to breathe, 
and the presence of tenacious phlegm in the mouth and nose, acting 
in the same manner. 

Besides the importance of proper care and feeding of tlie cow as a 
preventive measure, attention should be given at once to relieve the 
newborn calf of its investing membrane and of any mucus that has 
collecte'd in mouth or nostrils. Wiping out the nose deeply with a 
finger or feather excites to sneezing, hence to breathing. Blowing 
into the nose has a similar effect. Sucking the nostril through a tube 
applied to it is even more effective. Slapping the chest wilrh the palm 
of the hand or with a towel dipi)ed in cold water, compression and 
relaxation alternately of the walls of the chest, may start th*e action, 
aiul ammonia or even tobacco smoke blown into the nose maj' suffice. 
Ever}^ second is precious, however, and if possible the lungs should 
l)e dilated by forcibly introducing air from a bellows or from the 
human lungs. As the air is blown in through bellows or a tube the 
upper end of the windpipe must be pressed back against the gullet, 
as otherwise the air will go to the stomach. In a large dairj' a piece 
244 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 245 

of elastic tubing one-third of an inch in bore should be kept at hand 
for sucking and blowing in such cases. 

BLEEDING FROM THE NAVEL. 

This nia}' occur in two conditions — when the cord is cut off too 
close t« the navel and left untied and when it tears off at the navel. 
(PI. XIV.) It may also bleed when torn across naturally, if it is 
sucked by the dam or another calf. In an animal with little plas- 
ticity to its blood it will flow under almost any circumstances. 
Where any cord is left it is always safe to tie it, and it is only when 
it is swollen and may i^ossibly contain a loop of the bowel that there 
is danger in doing so. By pressing upward any bulky contents such 
danger is avoided. If torn or cut too close to be tied the bleeding 
may be checked by applying alum, copperas, or for a fraction of a 
second the end of an iron rod at a dull-red heat. If much blood has 
been lost it may be requisite to transfuse several ounces of blood or 
of a weak common-salt solution into the open umbilical vein. 

URINE DISCHARGED THROUGH THE NAVEL (PERSISTENT URACHUS). 

Before birth the urine passes from the bladder by a special tube 
through the navel and navel string into the outer water bag (allan- 
tois). (PI. XII.) This closes at birth, and the tube shrinks into a 
fine cord up to the bladder. It is only in the bull calf that it is likely 
to remain OT)en, doubtless because of the long, narrow channel through 
which the urine must otherwise escape. The urethra, too, is some- 
times abnormally narrow, or even closed, in the male. If part of the 
cord remains tie it and allow the w^hole to wither np naturally. If 
the cord has been removed and the tube (urachus) protrudes, dis- 
charging the urine, that alone must be tied. If there is nothing 
pendent the urachus must be seized, covered by the skin, and, a 
curved needle being passed through the skin and above the duct, it 
may be tied along with this skin. A blister of Spanish flies, causing 
swelling of the skin, will often close the orifice. So with the hot iron. 
If the urethra of the male is impervious it can rarely be remedied. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE URACHUS (nAVEL URINE DUCT). 

This may originate in direct mechanical injury to the navel in 
calving, or shortly after, with or without the lodgment of irritant and 
septic matter on its lacerated or cut end. The mere contact with 
healthy urine, hitherto harmless, can now be looked on as becoming 
suddenly irritating. The affection is usually marked by the presence 
of redness and swelling at the posterior part of the navel and the 
escape of urine and a few droj^s of whitish serous pus from the orifice 
of the nrachus. In those cases in which urine is not discharged a 
tender swelling, like a thick cord extending upw^ard and backward 



246 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

from the navel into the abdomen, may be identified. The navel 
enlargement may be considerable, but it is solid, does not gurgle on 
handling, and can not be done away with by pressing it back into the 
abdomen, as in a case of hernia. 

In cases at first closed the pus may burst out Inter, coming from the 
back part of the navel and the swelling extending backward. In 
other cases whitish X3us may pass with the urine by the ordinary' chan- 
nel, showing that it has opened back into the bladder. In other cases 
the umbilical veins become involved, in which case the swelling 
extends forward as well as backward. Thus the disease may result in 
destructive disorders of the liver, lungs, and, above all, of the joints. 

The disease may usually be warded off or rendered simple and com- 
paratively harmless by applying antiseptics to the navel string at 
birth (carbolic acid 1 part, water and glycerin 5 i)arts each, or wood 
tar). Later, antiseptics may be freely used (hj'posulphite of soda 4 
drams, water 1 quart) as an application to the surface and as an 
injection into the urachus, or even into the bladder if the two still 
communicate. If they no longer communicate, a stronger injection 
may be used (tincture of perchloride of iron 60 drops, alcohol 1 ounce). 
Several weeks will be required for complete recovery. 

ABSCESS OF THE NAVEL. 

As the result of irritation at calving or by the withered cord, or by 
licking with the rough tongue of the cow, inflammation may attack 
the loose connective tissue of the navel to the exclusion of the urachus 
and veins, and go on to the formation of matter. In this case a firm 
swelling appears as large as the fist, which softens in the center and 
may finallj' burst and discharge. The opening, however, is usually 
small and may close x>rematurely, so that abscess after abscess is 
formed. It is distinguished from hernia by the fact that it can not 
be returned into the abdomen, and from inflammations of the veins 
and urachus by the absence of swellings forward and backward along 
the lines of these canals. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists in an early opening of the abscess 
b}' a free incision and the injection twice a day of an astringent anti- 
septic (chloride of zinc one-half dram, water 1 pint). 

INFLAMMATIOX OF THE NAVEL VEINS (UMBILICAL PHLEBITIS). 

In this affection of the navel. the inflammation may start directly 
from mechanical injury, as in either of the two forms just described, 
but on this are inoculated infective microbes, derived from a retained 
and i:»utrefying afterbirth, an abortion, a metritis, a fetid discharge 
from the womb, an unhealthy open sore, a case of erysipelas, from 
overci'owding, from filthy floor or bedding, or from an offensive 
accumulation of manure, solid or liquid. As the microbes vary in 
different cases, given outbreaks will dilfer materially in their nature. 



DISEASES OF YOUT^G CALVES. 247 

One is erysipelatoid ; another purulent infection with the tendency to 
secondary abscesses in the joints, liver, luDgs, etc.; another is due to 
a sei^tic germ and is assjociated with fetid discliarge from the navel 
and general putrid blood poisoning. In estimating the causes of the 
disease we must not omit debilitj' of the calf when the mother has 
been underfed or badly housed or when either she or the fetus has 
been diseased. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms will vary. AVith the chain-form germs 
(streptococci) the navel becomes intensely red, "with a very firm, pain- 
ful swelling, ending abruptly at the edges in sound skin and extend- 
ing forward along the umbilical veins. The secondary diseases are 
circumscribed black engorgements (infarctions) or abscesses of the 
liver, lungs, kidnej^s, bowels, or other internal organs, and sometimes 
disease of the joints. 

With the ordinary pus-producing germs {Staphylococcus pyogenes 
aureus and Streptococcus pnjogenes) the local inflammation in the 
navel causes a hot, painful swelling, which rapidly advances to the 
formation of matter (pus), and the raw, exposed surface, at first bright 
red, becomes dark red or black, soft, friable, and pultaceous. If the 
13US is white, creamj^ and comparatively inoffensive in odor, the sec- 
ondary formations in internal organs and joints are mainly of the same 
j)urulent character (secondary abscesses). 

If, on the other hand, the discharge is very offensive and the j)us 
more serous or waterj^ or bloody, there is reason to suspect the pres- 
ence of some of the septic bacteria, and the results on the general 
sj'stem are a high fever and softening of the liver and sx)leen and no 
tendency to abscesses of the internal organs. Diarrhea is a common 
symptom, and death ensues early, the blood after death being found 
unclotted. 

Complicated cases are common, and in all alike the umbilical veins 
usually remain open and can be explored by a probe passed at first 
upward and then forward toward the liver. 

Prevention is sought by applying a lotion of carbolic acid or iodine 
solution to the navel string at birth, or it may be smeared with com- 
mon wood tar, which is at once antiseptic and a protective covering 
against germs. , In the absence of either a strong decoction of tea of 
oak bark may be used. 

Local- treatment consists in the application of antiseptics to the sur- 
face and their injection into the vein. As a lotion use carbolic acid, 
1 ounce in a quart of strong decoction of oak bark, or salicylic acid 
or salol may be sprinkled on the surface. The interior of the vein 
should be swabbed out with a probe wrapped around with cotton wool 
and dipped in boraeic or salicylic acid. 

If complications have extended to the liver or otlier internal organs, 
or the joints, other treatment will be demanded. In acute cases of 
general infection an early fatal result is to be expected. 



248 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

pyemic and septicemic inflammation of joints in calves 

(joint-ill). 

This occurs in young calves within the first months after birth; it 
persists in the joints when once attacked, and is usually connected 
with disease of the navel. Rheumatism, on the other hand, rarely 
occurs in a calf under a month old. It tends to shift from joint to 
joint and is independent of anj' navel disease. Rheumatism, again, 
affects the fibrous structures of the joints, and rarely results in the 
formation of white matter, wdiile the affection before named attacks 
the structures outside as well as inside the joints and, above all, the 
ends of the bones, and tends to the destruction and crumbling of 
their tissiie and even to the formation of open sores, through which 
the fragile bones are exposed. The microbes from the unhealthy and 
infected wound in the navel pass into the system through the veins, 
or lymphatics, and form colonies and local inflammations and 
abscesses in and around the joints. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are swelling of one or more joints, which 
are very hot and tender. The calf is stiff and lame, lies down con- 
stantly, and cares not to suck. There is very high fever and acceler- 
ated breathing and pulse, and there is swelling and purulent dis- 
charge (often fetid) from the navel. There may be added symptoms 
of disease of the liver, lungs, heart, or bowels, on which we need not 
here delay. The important point is to determine the condition of the 
navel in all such cases of diseased and swollen joints beginning in 
the first month of life, and in all cases of general stiffness, for besides 
the diseases of the internal organs there may be abscesses formed 
among the muscles of the trunk, though the joints appear sound. 
Cases of this kind, if they do not speedily die, tend to become emaci- 
ated and perish later in a state of weakness and exhaustion. 

Prevention. — Prevention must begin with the purity of the build- 
ings and the navel, as noted in the last article. 

Treatm,ent. — Treatment is in the main antiseptic. The slighter 
forms may be painted daily with tincture of iodine; or an ointment of 
biniodide of mercury (1 dram) and lard (2 ounces) may be rubbed on 
the affected joints daily until they are blistered. In case of swellings 
containing matter this may be drawn off through the nozzle of a hypo- 
dermic syringe and the following solution injected: Compound tinc- 
ture of iodine, 1 dram; distilled (or boiled) water, 2 ounces. Inter- 
nally the calf may take 5 grains quinia twice daily and 15 grains 
hyposulphite of soda, or 20 grains salicylate of soda three times a day. 

umbilical HERNIA (BREACH AT THE NAVEL). 

This may exist at birth from imperfect closure of the muscles around 
the oi)ening; it may even extend backward for a distance, from the 
two sides failing to come together. Apart from this, the trouble rarely 
appears after the calf has been some time on solid food, as the paunch 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 249 

then extends down to the right immediately over the navel, and thus 
forms an internal pad, preventing the protrusion of intestine. 

Sijnqjfoms. — The symptoms of umbilical hernia are a soft swelling 
at the navel, with contents that usually gurgle on handling, and can 
be entirely returned into the abdomen by pressure. The diseases of 
the navel hitherto considered have not gurgling contents, and can not 
be completely returned into the abdomen. The only exception in the 
case of the hernia is when the walls of the sac have become greatly 
thickened ; these will, of course, remain as a swelling after the bowel 
has been returned; and when the protruding bowel has contracted 
permanent adhesions to the sac it is impossible to return it fully with- 
out first severing that connection. 

Treatment. — Treatment is not always necessary, A small hernia, 
like an egg, in a new-born calf, will usually recover of itself as the 
animal changes its diet to solid food and has the paunch fully devel- 
oped as an internal pad. 

In other cases apply a leather pad of 8 inches square attached around 
the bod}' by two elastic bands connected with its four corners, and an 
elastic band passing from its front border to a collar encircling the 
neck, and two other elastic bands from the neck collar along the two 
sides of the body to the two bands passing up over the back, (PL 
XXIV, fig. G.) 

For small hernias nitric acid may be used to destroy the skin and 
cause such swelling as to close the orifice before the skin is separated. 
For a mass like a large goose egg one-half ounce of the acid may be 
rubbed in for three minutes. No more must be applied for fifteen 
days. For large masses this is inapplicable, and with too much loss 
of skin the orifice may fail to close and the bowels may escape. 

The application of a clamp like those used in castration is a most 
effective method, but great care must be taken to see that all the con- 
tents of the sac are returned so that none may be inclosed in the 
clainp. (PI. XXIV, fig. 7.) 

Another most effective resort is to make a saturated solution of com- 
mon salt, filter and boil it, and when cool inject under the skin (not 
into the sac) on each side of the hernia a dram of the fluid. A band- 
age may then be put around the body. In ten hours an enormous 
swelling will have taken place, pressing back the bowel into the abdo- 
men. When this subsides the wound will have closed. 

DROPSY OP THE NAVEL. 

A sac formed at the navel, by contained liquid accumulated by rea- 
son of sucking by other calves, is unsightly and sometimes injurious. 
After making sure that it is simply a dropsical collection it may be 
deeply punctured at various points with a large-sized lancet or knife, 
fomented with hot water, and then daily treated with a strong decoc- 
tion of white-oak bark. 



250 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

THE BLUE DISEASE (CYAXOSIS). 

This appearing in tlie calf at birth is due to the orifice between the 
two auricles of the heart (foramen ovale) remaining too oj^en, allowing 
the nonaerated (venous) blood to mix with the aerated (arterial) blood, 
and it is beyond the reach of treatment. It is recognized by the blue- 
ness of the eyes, nose, mouth, and other mucous membranes, the cold- 
ness of the surface, and the extreme sensitiveness to cold. 

CONSTIPATION. 

At birth the bowels of the calf contain the meconium, a tenacious, 
gluey, brownish j^ellow material largely derived from the liver, which 
must be expelled before they can start their functions normally. The 
first milk of the cow (colostrum, beestings), rich in albumen and 
salts, is nature's laxative to expel this now offensive material and 
should never be withheld from the calf. If, for lack of tliis, from the 
dry feeding of the cow, or from any other cause, the calf is costive, 
straining violently without passage, Ij'ing down and rising as in colic, 
and failing in appetite, no time should be lost in giving relief bj" an 
ounce dose of castor oil, assisting its action by injections of soapsuds 
or oil. Whatever meconium is within reach of the finger should* be 
carefully removed. It is also important to give the cow a sloppy, laxa- 
tive diet. 

INDIGESTION. 

This may occi^r from manj' different causes, as costiveness; a too 
liberal supply of milk ; milk too rich ; the furnishing of the milk of a 
cow long after calving to a ver^' young calf; allowing a calf to suck 
the first milk of a cow that has been hunted, driven by road, shipped 
by rail, or otherwise violently excited; allowing the calf too long time 
between meals, so that impelled by hunger it quickly overloads and 
clogs tlie stomach; feeding from the pail milk that has been held over 
in unwashed (unscalded) buckets, so that it is fermented and si^oiled; 
feeding the milk of cows kept on unwholesome food; keeping the 
calves in cold, damp, dark, filthj^ or bad-smelling pens; feeding the 
calves on artificial mixtures containing too much starchy matter; or 
overfeeding the calves on artificial food that may be aj)j)ropriate 
enougli in smaller amount. The licking of hair from themselves or 
others and its formation into balls in the stomach will cause obstinate 
indigestion in the calf. 

Syi)i2)to)ns. — The symptoms are dullness, indisi^osition to move, un- 
easiness, eructations of gas from the stomach, sour breath, entire loss 
of appetite, lying down and rising as if in pain, fullness of the abdo- 
men, Avhich gives out a drumlike sound when tapped with the fingers. 
The costiveness may be marked at first, but soon it gives place to 
diarrhea, by which the offensive matters may be carried oft' and health 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 251 

restored. In other cases it becomes aggravated, merges into inflam- 
Tuation of the bowels, fever sets in, and the calf gradually sinks. 

Prevention. — Prevention consists in avoiding the causes above 
enumerated or sltij others that may be detected. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists in first clearing away the irritant 
present in the bowels. For this purpose 1 or 2 ounces of castor oil 
with 20 drops of laudanum may be given, and if the sour eructa- 
tions are marked a tablespoonful of limewater or one-fourth ounce 
calcined magnesia may be given and repeated two or three times a 
day. If the disorder continues after the removal of the irritant, a 
large tablespoonful of rennet, or 30 grains of pepsin, may be given at 
each meal along with a teaspoonf ul of tincture of gentian. Any return 
of constipation must be treated by injections of warm water and soap, 
while the persistence of diarrhea must be met as advised under the 
article following this. In case of the formation of loose hair balls 
inclosing milk undergoing putrid fermentation temporary benefit may 
be obtained by giving a tablespoonful of vegetable charcoal three or 
four times a day, but the only real remedy for these is to cut open the 
paunch and extract them. At this early age they may be found in 
the third or even the fourth stomach; in the adult they are confined 
to the first two, and are comparatively harmless. 

DIARRHEA (sCOURING) IN CALVES (SIMPLE AND CONTAGIOUS). 

As stated in the last article, scouring is a common result of indi- 
gestion, and at first may be nothing more than an attempt of nature 
to relieve the stomach and bowels of offensive and irritating contents. 
As the indigestion persists, however, the fermentations going on in 
the undigested masses become steadily more complex and active, and 
what was at first the mere result of irritation or susjjended digestion 
comes to be a genuine contagious disease, in which the organized fer- 
ments (bacteria) propagate the affection from animal to animal and 
from herd to herd. More than once I have seen such epizootic diar- 
rhea start on the headwaters of a creek, and, traveling along that 
stream, follow the watershed and attack the herds supplied. Avith 
water from the contaminated channel. In the same waj' the disease, 
once started in a cow stable, is liable to persist for 3'ears, or until the 
building has been thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. It may be 
carried into a healthy stable by the introduction of a cow brought 
from an infected stable when she is closelj^ approaching calving. 
Another method of its introduction is by the purchase of a calf from 
a herd where the infection exists. 

In enumerating the other causes of this disease we may refer to 
-those noted above as inducing indigestion. As a primary considera- 
tion, any condition which lowers ^he vitality or vigor of the calf must 
be accorded a prominent place among factors which, apart from con- 
tagion, contribute to start the disease de novo. Other things being 



252 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



equal, the strong, vigorous races are the least predisposed to the mal- 
ady, and in this respect the compact form, the healthy coat, the clear 
eye, and the bold, active carriage are desirable. Even the color of 
the hair is not unimiiortant, as in the same herd I have found a far 
greater number of victims among the light colors (light yellow, light 
brown) than among those of a darker tint. This constitutional i3re- 
disposition to indigestion and diarrhea is sometimes fostered by too 
close breeding, without taking due account of the maintenance of a 
robust constitution, and hence animals that are very much inbred 
ueed to be especially observed and cared for unless their inherent 
vigor has been thoroughly attested. 

The surroundings of the calf are powerful influences. Calves kept 
indoors suffer to a greater extent than those running in the open air 
and having the invigorating influences of sunshine, pure air, and exer- 
cise; but alose, crowded, filthy, bad-smelling buildings are especially 
causative of the complaint. The presence in the air of carbon diox- 
ide, the product of breathing, and of the fetid gaseous products of 
decomposing dung and urine diminish bj^ about one-fourth of their 
volume the life-giving oxygen, and in the same ratio hinder the aera- 
tion of the blood and the maintenance of vigorous health. Worse 
than this, such fetid gases are usually direct poisons to the animal 
breathing them ; for example, sulphnreted hydrogen (hydrogen sul- 
phide 2 SHo) and various alkaloids (ptomaines) and toxins (neutral 
poisonous ijrinciples) produced in the filth fermentations. These 
lower the general health and stamina, impair digestion, and by lead- 
ing to the accumulation in stomach and bowels of undigested mate- 
rials they lay the foundation for offensive fermentations within these 
organs, and consequent irritation, poisoning, and diarrhea. They 
further weaken the system so that it can no longer resist and overcome 
the trouble. 

The condition of the nursing cow and lier milk is another potent 
cause of trouble. The food of the cow is important. The influence 
of this is shown in the following tables: 

Becquerel and Vernois. 







Casein 








Character of feed. 


Water. 


and ex- 
tractive 
matter. 


Milk 
sugar. 


Butter. 


Salts. 


Cows on winter feed: 

Trefoil or lucern, 12-i;j pounds; oat straw, 9-10 


Parts in 
1,000. 


Parts in 

1,000. 


Parts in 

1,000. 


Parts in 

1,000. 


Parts in 

1,000. 


pounds; beets, 7 pounds; water, 2 buckets ... 


871.26 


47.81 


33.47 


42.07 


5. .34 


Cows on summer feed: 












Green trefoil, lucern, maize, barley, grass, 2 












buckets water 


859. .56 


54. 70 


.36.38 


42.76 


6 80 


Goat's milk on different feed: 




On straw and trefoil 


858.68 
888. 77 
844.90 


47. :« 

a5.i4 


3,5.47 
38.02 
36.90 


52.54 
33.68 
56.87 


5.93 


On beets 


5 73 


Normal mean 


6.18 







DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 



253 



In these examples the deterioration of the milk in casein on the less- 
nutritious winter feeding is very marked, although the relative amount 
of butter remains almost unchanged. In the case of the goat the 
result is even more striking, the beet diet giving a very large decrease 
of both casein and butter and an increase of milk sugar. 

The following table, condensed from the Iowa vVgricultural Experi- 
ment Station Bulletin, gives the results in butter and total solids when 
the same cows were fed on different rations in succession. Each cow 
was fed a daily ration of 12 pounds corn fodder and 4 pounds clover 
hay, besides the test diet of (1) 12:^ pounds corn and cob meal, and (2) 
10 pounds sugar meal — a product of the glucose manufacture. This 
special feed was given seven days before the commencement of each 
test period to obviate the eifects of transition. The analj^ses of the 
special rations are given below: 



Constituents. 



Corn and | 
cob meal, i 



Sugar 
meal. 



Moisture 

Salts 

Fat _ 

Carbohydrates i^heat formers) 

Woody fiber 

Proteids (flesh formers) - 



Per cent. 

13.37 
1.43 
2.81 

65.99 
8.03 
8.37 



Per cent. 
6.10 
1.17 
11.16 
52. C6 
8.64 
20.27 



The great excess of fat and nitrogenous or flesh-forming principles 
in the sugar meal is very evident. 



Animal. 


Milk. 


Fat. 


Solids. 


Fat. 


Solids. 


Ratio of fat 

to solids not 

fat. 


Grade Shorthorn cow: 


Pounds. 


P.ct. 


Per ct. 


Pounds. 


Pounds. 




First period, 21 days, corn and cob meal- 


631.25 


3.43 


11.57 


21. 67 


73.02 


422.0: 1,000 


Second period, 21 days, sugar meal 


641.50 


4.04 


12.53 


25.93 


&3.38 


476.2 : 1,000 


Third period, 21 days, corn and cob meal. 


559. 00 


3.22 


11.86 


17.97 


66.32 


371.7 : 1,000 


Grade Shorthorn cow: 














First period, 21 days, corn and cob meal- 


604.75 


3.57 


11.95 


21.56 


72.28 


426.1 : 1,000 


Second period, 21 days, sugar meal 


582.00 


3.91 


12.37 


22.74 


72.57 


456.3 : 1,000 


Third period, 21 days, corn and cob meal. 


527. 00 


3.37 


12.05 


17.78 


m. 48 


389.1: 1,000 


Grade Shorthorn cow: 














First period, 21 days, sugar meal 


753.50 


3.97 


12.43 


29.94 


93.67 


469.8: 1,000 


Second period , 21 days, corn and cob meal 


601.50 


3.15 


11.45 


18.97 


68.89 


380.0: 1,000 


Third period, 21 days, sugar meal 


560.50 


3. 85 


12.16 


21.58 


68.16 


463.3: 1,000 


Grade Holstein cow: 














First period, 21 days, siigar meal 


487.50 


4.15 


1.3.27 


20.25 


64.69 


45.5.6: l.OfW 


Second period , 21 days, corn and cob meal 


379.00 


3.51 


12.69 


13.30 


48.09 


382.3 : 1,000 


Third period, 21 days, sugar meal 


374.50 


3.72 


13.01 


13.95 


48.74 


401.0: 1,000 



Here we see in every instance a marked relative increase of the but- 
ter, and to a less extent of the other milk solids whenever the sugar 
meal — rich in fat and albuminoids — was furnished. The opposite 



254 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

theoiy having been largely taught, it becomes needful to thus sustain 
the old and well-founded belief of the dairymen. 

Not only does the richness of the milk vary with the nature of the 
food, but it varies also according to the time of the day when it is 
drawn, the morning milk giving 7^ per cent of cream and the evening 
milk r4 per cent (Hassall). Boedecker found that the morning milk 
had 10 per cent of solids, while the evening milk had 13 per cent. 
Again, the milk first drawn at any milking is always poorer than the 
last drawn. The first may have only one-half, or in extreme cases 
one-fourth, the cream of the last. Once more, when the cow is in heat 
the milk becomes richer in solids (casein and butter), and contains 
granular and white blood cells like the colostrum, and often disagrees 
with the 3'oung animal living on it. Now, while these various modifi- 
cations in the amount of solid matters may prove harmless to a strong 
and vigorous calf, they can easily be the occasion of intestinal dis- 
order in a weaker one, or in one with health alread}^ somewhat 
impaired by sickness, exposure, or unwholesome buildings. The 
casein of the cow's milk coagulates in one solid mass, and is much less 
easily penetrated by the digesting fluids than the fine flaky coagula of 
woman's or mare's milk. An excess of casein, therefore, thrown on 
an already overtaxed stomach can all the more readily Induce dis- 
order. So with butter fat. While a most important element in nutri- 
tion, it may be X)resent in the stomach in such amount as to interfere 
with the action of the gastric juice on the casein, and with the inter- 
rui3tion of the natural stomach digestion the fats themselves undergo 
decomposition with the production of offensive and irritating fatty 
acids. 

The milk of the ver}- young cow is usuallj^ more watery than that of 
the mature animal, and that of the old cow has. a greater liability to 
become acid. It varies much with the breed, the -Channel Island cattle 
being notorious for the relatively large amount of cream, while the 
Holsteins, Ayrshires, and Shorthorns are remarkable rather for the 
amount of casein. The milk of cows fed on x^otatoes and grass is very 
poor and watery; that from cows fed on cabbage or Swedish turnips 
has a disagreeable taste and odor (from the former an offensive liquid 
has been distilled). 

Cows fed on overkept, fermented, and soured rations have acid 
milk which readily turns and coagulates. Thus old, long-kept brew- 
er's grains, swill, the refuse of glucose factories, and ensilage which 
has Ijeen put up too green, all act in this way. The same may come 
from disease in the cow's udder, or any general disease of the cow with 
attendant fever, and in all such cases the tendency is to rapid change 
and unwholesomeness. If the milk is drawn and fed from a pail there 
is the added danger of all sorts of poisonous ferments getting into it 
and multiplying; it may be from the imperfect cleansing and scalding 
of the pail ; from rinsing the pails with water that is impure; from the 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 255 

eutrance of bacterial ferraonts floating in the filthy atmosphere of 
the stable, or from the entrance of the volatile chemical products of 
fermentation. 

In addition to the dangers coming through the milk, the calf sulfers 
in its digestive powers from any temporary illness, and among others 
from the excitement attendant on the cutting of teeth, and impaired 
digestion means fermentations in the undigested masses and the exces- 
sive production of poisonous i^tomaines and toxins. 

Whatever may be the starting or predisposing cause of this malady, 
when once established it is liable to i)erpetuate itself by contagion and 
to prove a veritable plague in a herd or a district. 

Symptoms. — The symi^toms of diarrhea may appear so promptly 
after birth as to lead to the idea that the cause alreadj^ existed in the 
body of the calf, and it usually shows itself before the end of the 
second week. It may be preceded by constipation, as in retained 
meconium, or by fetid eructations and colicky pains, as in acute indi- 
gestion. The tail is stained by the liquid dejections, which are at first 
simply soft and mixed with mucus with a sour odor, accompanied h\ 
a peculiar and characteristic fetor (suggesting rotten cheese), which 
continually grows worse. The amount of water and mucus steadily 
increases, the normal predominance of fatty matters becoming modi- 
fied by the presence of a considerable amount of undigested casein, 
which is not present in the healthy feces, and in acute cases death 
may result in one or two days from the combined drain on the system 
and the poisoning by the absorbed j)roducts of the decomposition in 
the stomach and bowels. Wlien the case is prolonged the passages, 
at first five or six per day, increase to fifteen or twent}', and j)ass with 
more and more straining, so that they are projected from the animal 
in a liquid stream. The color of the feces, at first yellow, becomes a 
lighter grayish yellow or a dirty white (hence the name white scour), 
and the fetor becomes intolerable. 

At first the calf retains its appetite, but as the severity of the disease' 
increases the animal shows less and less disposition to suck, and has 
lost all vivacity, lying dull and listless, and, when raised, walking 
weakly and unsteadily. Flesh is lost I'apidlj^ the hair stands erect, 
the skin gets dry and scurfy, the nose is dry and hot, or this condition 
alternates with a moist and cool one. By this time the mouth and 
skin, as well as the breath and dung, exhale the peculiar j)enetrating, 
sour, offensive odor, and the poor calf has become an object of disgust 
to all that approach it. At first, and unless inflammation of the 
stomach and bowels supervene (and unless the afl:ection has started in 
indigestion and colic), the belly is not bloated or painful on pressure, 
symptoms of acute colicky pains are absent, and the bowels do not 
rumble, neither are bubbles of gas mingled with the feces. The irritant 
products of the intestinal fermentations may, however, irritate and 
excoriate the skin around the anus, w^hich becomes red, raw, and 



256 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

broken out in sores for some distance. Similarly, the rectum, exposed 
by reason of the relaxed condition of the anus, or temporarily in 
straining to pass the liquid dejection, is of a more or less deep red, 
and it may be ulcerated. Fever, with rapid pulse and increased 
breathing and temperature, usually comes on with the very fetid char- 
acter of the feces and is more pronounced as the bowels become 
inflamed, the abdomen sore to the touch and tucked up, and the feces 
more watery, and even mixed with blood. 

Prevention. — The prevention of these cases is the prevention of con- 
stipation and indigestion, with all their varied causes as above enu- 
merated, the selection of a strong, vigorous stock, and, above all, the 
combating of contagion, especially in the separation of the sick from 
the healthy, and in the thorough purilication and disinfection of the 
buildings. The cleansing and sweetening of all drains, the removal 
of dung heaps, and the washing and scraping of floors and walls, fol- 
lowed by a lilK^ral application of chloride of lime (bleaching powder), 
4 ounces to the gallon, are indicated. Great care must be exercised 
in the feeding of the cow to have sound and wholesome food and 
water, so apportioned as to make the milk neither too rich nor too 
poor, and to her health, so that the calf may be saved from the evil 
consequences of poisonous principles that may be produced in the 
body of the cow. The calves should be carefully kept apart from all 
calving cows and their discharges. Similarly, each calf must have 
special attention to see that its nurse gives milk which agrees with it, 
and that this is furnished at suitable times. If allowed to suck, it 
should either be left with the cow or it may be fed three times a day. 
If it becomes hungry twice a day it is more likelj' to overload and 
derange the stomach, and if left too long hungry it is tempted to take 
in unsuitable and unwholesome food, for which its stomach is as j'et 
unprepared. So, if fed* from the pail, it is safer to do so three times 
daily than twice. The utmost cleanliness of feeding dishes should be 
"secured and the feeder must be ever on the alert to prevent the strong 
and hungry from drinking the milk of the weaker in addition to their 
own. In case the cow nurse has been subjected to any great excite- 
ment by reason of travel, hunting, or carrying, the first milk she 
yields thereafter should be used for some other purpose and only the 
second allowed to the calf. Indeed, one and all of the conditions 
above indicated as causes should be judiciouslj^ guarded against. 

Treatment. — Treatment will vary according to the nature and stage 
of the disease. When the disease is not widespread, but isolated 
cases onlj^ occur, it may be assumed to be a simple diarrhea and is 
easily dealt with. The first object is to remove the irritant matter 
from stomach and bowels, and for this 1 or 2 ounces of castor oil 
may be given, according to the size of the calf. Reduce the milk by 
one-half or two-thirds. If the stools smell particularly sour, it may 
be replaced bj' 1 ounce calcined magnesia, and in any case a table- 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 257 

spoonful or two of limewater must be given with each meal. Great 
harm is often done by giving opium and astringents at the outset. 
These merely serve to bind up the bowels and retain the irritant 
source of the trouble; literally, "to shut up the wolf in the sheep- 
fold." When the offending agents have been exi^elled in this way, 
carminatives and demulcent agents may be given — 1 dram anise water, 
1 dram nitrate of bismuth, and 1 dram gum arable, three times a day. 
Under such a coarse the consistencj'^ of the stools should increase 
until in a day or two they become natural. 

If, however, the outbreak is more general and evidently the result 
of contagion, the first consideration is to remove all sources of such 
contamination. Test the milk of the cow with blue litmus paper, and, 
if it reddens, reject the milk of that cow until by sound, dry feeding, 
with perhaps a course of hyposulphite of soda and gentian root, her 
milk shall have been made alkaline. The castor oil or magnesia will 
still be demanded to clear away the (now infecting) irritants, but they 
should be combined with antiseptics, and, while the limewater and the 
carminative mixture may still be used, a most valuable addition will be 
found in the following : Calomel, 10 grains; prepared chalk, 1 ounce; 
creosote, 1 teaspoonful; mix, divide' into ten parts, and give one four 
times a day. Or the following may be given four times a day : One 
dram Dover's powder, 6 grains powdered ipecacuanha; mix, divide 
into ten equal parts. Injections of solutions of gum arable are often 
useful, and if the anus is red and excoriated, one-half dram of copperas 
may be added to each pint of the gummy solution. All the milk given 
must be boiled, and if that does not agree, eggs made into an emulsion 
with barley Avater may be substituted. Small doses (tablespoonful) 
of port wine are often useful from the first, and as the feces lose 
their watery character and become more consistent, tincture of gen- 
tian in doses of 2 teaspoonfuis may be given three or four times a 
day. Counterirritarts, such as mustard, ammonia, or oil of turpen- 
tine, may be rubbed on the abdomen when that becomes tender to 
th>^ toucii. 

ACUTE CONTAGIOUS SCOURING IN THE NEWBORN. 

The most violent and deadly form of diarrhea in tho newborn calf 
deserves a special mention. This may appear immediately after birth, 
and shows itself almost invariably within the first or second day. The 
most intense symptoms of white scour are complicated by great dull- 
ness, weakness, and prostration, sunken eyes, retracted belly, short, 
hurried breathing, and very low temperature, the calf lying on its 
side, with the head resting on the ground, lethargic and unconscious 
or regardless of all around it. The bowel discharges are pi^ofuse, 
yellowish white, and very offensive. As a rule, death ensues within 
twenty-four to thirty-six hours. 
8367—04 17 



258 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

A marked characteristic of this form of illness is that it attacks 
almost every calf born in the herd, or in the building, rather, and if 
the calf escapes an attack in the first two or three days of its life it 
usually survives. Those that recover from an attack, however, are 
liable to suffer from an infective inflammation of the lungs one or two 
weeks later. The infection clings to a stable for years, rendering it 
impossible in many cases to preserve and raise the calves. It has 
frequently coincided with abortions and failures to conceive in the 
same herd, so that it has been thought that the same infective germ 
produces one type of abortion. On the other hand, the removal of 
the calving cow from the herd to calve in a separate building, hitherto 
unused and therefore uninfected, usuall^'^ secures the escape and sur- 
vival of the offspring. 

The disease has been traced b^^ Nocard and Lignieres to a small 
bacillus having the general characters of those which produce hemor- 
rhagic septicemia, which is usually combined with a variety of others, 
but is in some cases alone and in pure culture, especially in the 
joints. The theor}^ of Lignieres is that this bacillus is the primarj^ 
offender, and that once intro'duced it so depresses the vital powers of 
the S3^steni and tissue cells that the healthy resistance to other bac- 
teria is impaired or suspended, and hence the general and deadly 
invasion of the latter. 

Inoculations with this bacillus killed guinea pigs or rabbits in six 
to eighteen hours, and calves in thirty hours, with symptoms and 
lesions of hemorrhagic septicemia, including jjrofuse fetid diarrhea. 

The predominance of the early and deadly lesions in the alimen- 
tary tract would seem to imply infection through the food, and the 
promptitude of the attack after birth, together with the frequent coin- 
cidence of contagious abortion in the herd, suggest the presence of 
the germ in the cow; yet the escape of the calf when the cow calves 
in a fresh building is equally suggestive of the infection through 
germs laid up in the building. This conclusion is further sustained 
by the observation that the bacillus evidently enters by the raw, 
unhealed navel, that it is diffused in the blood, and that a very care- 
ful preservation of the navel against infection gives immunity from 
attack. 

Prevention. — The disease is so certainly and speedily fatal that it is 
hopeless to expect recovery, and therefore prevention is the rational 
resort. 

When a herd is small, the removal of the dam to a clean, unused 
stable a few days before calving and her retention there for a week 
usually succeeds. But it is in the large herd that the disease is mainly 
to be dreaded, and in this it is impossible to furnish new and pure 
stables for each successive group of two or three calving cows. The 
thorough disinfection of the general stable ought to succeed; yet I 



DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 259 

have seen the cleanest and jjurest stable repeatedly disinfected with 
corrosive sublimate without stopping the nialad}'. It would appear 
as if the germ lodged on the surface or in the bowels of the cow and 
tided the infection over the period of stable disinfection. But though 
insufficient of themselves, the supply of separate calving boxes and 
the frequent thorough cleaning and disinfection of both these and the 
stables should not be neglected. The most important measure, how- 
ever, is the disinfection of the navel. 

The cow should be furnished with abundance of dry, clean bedding, 
sprinkled with a solution of carbolic acid. As soon as calving sets in, 
the tail and hips, anus and vulva, should be sponged with a carbolic- 
acid solution (one-half ounce to the quart), and the vagina injected 
with a weaker solution (2 drams to the quart). Fresh carbolized bed- 
ding should be constantly supplied, so that the calf shall be drojiped on 
that and not on soaked litter nor manure. The navel string should 
be at once tied with a cord that has been tciken from a strong solution 
of carbolic acid. The stump of the cord and the adjacent skin should 
then be washed with the following solution; Iodine, one-half dram; 
iodide of potassium, one-half dram; water, 1 quart. When dry, it 
may be covered with a coating of collodion or tar, each containing 1 
per cent of iodine. 

Whenever a calf shows any sign of scouring, it should be instantly 
removed to another pen and building, and the vacated one should be 
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Different attendants should 
take care of the sound calves and the infected ones, and all utensils, 
litter, etc., kept scrupulously apart. 

After one week the healthy calves may usually be safely herded 
together or the}^ may be safely placed in the cow stable. 

OTHER AILMENTS OF THE CALF. 

Among these maybe named several congenital imperfections, such as 
imperforate anus, vulva, or prepuce, which are to be recognized by the 
inability to pass dung or urine, in spite of straining, and the formation 
of swellings in the anus, vulva, or sheath. Each must be carefully 
incised with the knife, taking care not to injure the muscles which cir- 
cumscribe the respective openings. Also tongue-tie, in which the thin 
flaccid mucous membrane passing from the median line of the lower 
surface of the tongue binds the latter too closely to the floor of the 
mouth and renders the tongue unfit for gathering in the food in after 
life. This must be cut with knife or scissors, so as to give the tongue a 
reasonable amount of liberty. 

Aphtha, or thrush, is another trouble of the sucking calf, showing 
itself as a white, curdy elevation on the tongue, lips, cheeks, or gums, 
and when detached leaving a raw, red, angry surface. It is due to the 
growth of a vegetable parasite long recognized as the O'idiuni albicans 



260 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

{Saccliarouiyrfs alhicans). It is easil^y removed by rubbing with 
powdered borax, but inasmuch as other colonies are likely to start 
either in the mouth or lower down in the pharynx, gullet, or stomach, 
it is well to give a dose of one-half dram of hyposulphite of soda in 
water day by day for several days. 

Hirli-eis is not a common disease in calves, and comes on, if at all, 
later than those we have been considering. It consists in softening 
and friability of the bones from a deficiency of lime salts, and appears 
to be mainl3' connected with an inherited weakness of constitution, 
unsuitable feeding, cold, close, danij) buildings, niicrobian infection, 
and other conditions inimical to health. The prevention and treat- 
ment of rickets consists essentially in the improvement of the diges- 
tion and general health; hence sunshine, open air, exercise, nourish- 
ing food, and tonics are indicated. 



BONES: DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

By V. T. Atkinson, V. S. 

[Revised in lOOi by John R. Mobler, V. M. D.] 

Some knowledp;e of the skeleton is advisable to facilitate the study 
Of diseases of bones and the accidental injuries to which they are 
exposed. The skeleton of the adult ox is made up of the following- 
number of bones: 

Spinal column _ . . . . 45 

Head 28 

Chest 27 

Shoulder 2 — 1 on each side. 

Arm 2 — 1 on each side. 

""ore arm _ . . 4 — 2 on each side. 

Fore foot 40 — 20 on each side. 

Pelvis 2 — 1 on each side. 

Thigh 2 — 1 on each side. 

Leg 6 — 3 on each side. 

Hind foot 38 — 1 9 on each side. 

Total . 196 

Without attempting to burden the reader with the technical names 
and a scientific classification of each, it appears desirable to describe 
some of the characteristics of forms in general, and of a few classes 
into which they maybe divided, leaving the special study of individual 
bones to the illustrations of the skeleton (PI. XXV), which will serve 
better than any amount of writing to fix in the mind of the reader the 
location, relation, and function of each one. In early fetal life the 
place of bone is supplied by temporary cartilage, which graduallj' 
changes to bone. For convenience of study, bones ma}^ be said to be 
composed of a dense form of connective tissue impregnated with lime 
salts and contain two elementary constituents — the organic, or animal, 
and the inorganic, or earth3^ In young animals the former predomi- 
nates; with increasing j'ears the relative proportions of the two change, 
so that when advanced age is reached the proportion of inorganic far 
exceeds the organic. The gradual change with advancing years from 
organic to inorganic has the effect of rendering the bone harder and 
more brittle, and though it is stronger tlie reparative process is slower 
when injury does occur. 

The bones are nourished in two ways : First, from the outside through 
their covering, called the periosteum — the thin, strong membrane that 

261 



262 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

covei'sj every part of the bone except the articular surface of the 
joints — and, second, from within through the minute branches of 
blood vesyels which pass into the bones through holes (foramen) on 
theii- surface and are distributed in the soft structure (medulla) of 
the inside. The structure of the bone is divided into two parts — the 
compact or hard material of the outside, which gives strength and is 
more abundant in the shafts of long bones, and the cancellated softer 
tissue of the inside, which affords accommodation to the blood vessels 
necessary for the nourishment of that part of the structure. 

In shape bones are divided into three classes — long, flat, and short. 
The long bones are the ribs and those mostly found in the limbs; the 
flat bones are found in the head, the shoulder, and the pelvis; and the 
short bones in the spinal column and in the lower portions of the 
limbs. 

With this little introduction, which seems almost indispensable, we 
Avill proceed at once to the consideration of diseases of bones, for they 
undergo diseased processes like any other living tissue. 

OSTEITIS. 

Inflammation of the compact structure of bones (osteitis) may be 
either acute or chronic, and may involve the whole extent of the bone 
affected or may be confined to only a portion of it. This inflamma- 
tion results from injury, such as concussion, laceration, or a crushing 
bruise; also from specific influences, as in actinomycosis or cases of 
foul foot. The latter affection frequently involves the bones, and for 
this reason the pastern is the most frequent seat of osteitis. There 
is dull pain on pressure and a painful swelling of bone when pus is 
j)re.sent. Suppuration may involve the overlying soft tissues, causing 
an abscess, which may finally break through the skin. The inflam- 
matory condition sometimes assumes an ulcerated form (caries) or 
from interrupted nutrition of the part deprived of the blood neces- 
sary to its nourishment may cause death of a large section of bone 
(necrosis), and this dead fragment (sequestrum), becoming separated 
from the main portion of bone, acts as a foreign body. 

Treatment. — This consists in resting the affected part and in giving 
vent at the earliest possible moment to whatever pus may be present. 
Free drainage should then be maintained. Apply dressings of lactic 
acid or inject with 5 per cent zinc chloride solution and pack with 
tampons of cotton soaked in antiseptic solutions. A laxative to keep 
the bowels moving freely is the only internal treatment necessary. 

PEIIIOSTITIS, 

This disease is an inflammation of the external covering of bone 
(periosteum) and is usually produced by wounds, pressure, or crmsh- 
ing of the part. The periosteum is well supplied with sensitive nerve 



bones: diseases and accidents. 263 

endings and when inflamed is very sensitive to pressure and may 
cause lameness. This condition is often difficult to determine, and 
even an acute observer maj^ fail to locate the x>oint of its existence. 
There are three forms of periostitis — aseptic, purulent, and fibrous, 

ASEPTIC PERIOSTITIS. 

Aseptic periostitis when it becomes chronic causes such a bony 
enlargement (exostosis) as is seen in the callous formation following 
the fracture of a bone. The formation of such a tumor o" enlarge- 
ment on the surface of a bone is liable to occur in any part of tlie 
bone covered with periosteum, and when found in the neighborhood 
of a joint involving two or more bones it is likely to result in their 
union (anchylosis). 

Treatment. — Applications of cold water to check the inflammatory 
processes is indicated for the first few days in aseptic periostitis, fol- 
lowed by hot fomentations to hurry resorption of fluids. Massage 
should then be given with camphor ointment, mercurial ointment, 
soap liniment, or Lugol's solution. In the chronic form point firing 
or a biniodide of mercury blister will be found beneficial. 

PURULENT PERIOSTITIS. 

Purulent periostitis follows wounds which reach the periosteum 
and become infected, as observed in compound fractures, or it may 
result from advancing purulent conditions in neighboring structures, 
as in foul foot. It may also occur in the course of an infectious dis- 
ease, when small abscesses are formed under the periosteum (subperi- 
osteal abscess). It may lead to necrosis of the bone or a fistulous 
track from the bone to the surface. There is usually much pain and 
fever present, and the odor from the wound is ofCensive. 

Treatment. — In this form of periostitis the periosteum should be 
freely incised, followed either by continuous irrigation or frequent 
injection of the wound with antiseptic solutions. 

FIBROU-^ PERIOSTITIS. 

This form of the disease consists in the thickening of the outer 
layer of the periosteum from the inflammation I'eaching it from neigh- 
boring structures. This newly formed fibrous tissue may become 
ossified or may transmit the inflammation to the deeper bony struc- 
tures. It is frequently seen in cases where there has been an intense 
inflammation of the skin close to an underlying bone. 

Treatment. — The treatment should follow that recommended for 
aseptic periostitis. 

OSTEO-MYELITIS. 

This term refers to an inflammation of the bone marrow, which is 
most commonly seen following the bacterial infection of a comi)ound 
fracture and usually results in pus formation. The bone is melted 



264 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

away, and pns escapes from tlie bone under the periosteum, involving 
the soft tissues. It is principally confined to the long bones and sel- 
dom affects more than one. 

Treafmenf. — The bone should be opened for the purpose of curret- 
ting out the diseased portion of the marrow cavity and removing all 
the necrotic pieces of bone. This should be undertaken only by a 
competent veterinarian. The after treatment consists in tamponing 
the wound with pledgets of iodoform gauze or injecting a 2 per cent 
solution of sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid of similar strength or 
pui'c lactic acid or a mixture of iodoform 1 part and glycerine 4 parts. 
The wound in the soft tisssue should be kept open until the cavity in 
the bone has filled with granulation tissue. 

RICKETS. 

This disease, also called "rachitis," is an inflammatory affection of 
young, growing bones, and involves the ribs and long bones of the 
legs mostly. It consists in a failure of the organism to deposit lime 
salts in bone, and for this reason the bones do not ossify as i apidly as 
they should. The cartilaginous ends of the bones grow rapidly, but 
ossification does not keep pace with it. The bones become long and 
their ends bend at the joints, the legs become crooked, and the joints 
are large and irregular. All the bones affected with this disease are 
thicker than normal, and the gait of the animal is stiff and painful. 
A row of bony enlargements maj^ be found where the ribs articulate 
with the cartilages connecting them with the breastbone and is called 
the "beaded line." A catarrhal condition of the digestive tract is 
usually observed. The disease may result from an inherited weak- 
ness of constitution, poor hygienic surroundings, or improper diet. 
Calves and foals are less frequently affected with rickets than dogs 
and pigs. 

Treatment. — The affected animal should be given nourishing food 
.^.ontaining a proper amount of lime salts. Outdoor exercise and 
plenty of fresh air are indispensable. Limewater should be given 
once daily for drinking purposes and ground bone meal mixed with 
the food. Phosphorus, one-fortieth of a grain, and calcium phos- 
phate, 1 dram, given twice daily to a 2-months-old calf, and propor- 
tionally increased for older animals, has proved efficacious in this 
disease. In some eases the long bones of the limbs are too weak at 
birth to support the weight of the animal and temporary splints, 
carefully padded and Avi-apped on with some soft bandages, become 
necessarj'. 

OSTEOMALACIA (CREEPS). 

This is a condition of bono brittleness or softening of bone found 
usually in adult life. It consists of the decalcification of mature 
bone, with the advancing diminution of the compact portion of bone 



bones: diseases and accidents. 265 

b}' absorption. The pei'iostenin strips very easily from the bone' 
This disease is seen in milch cows during the period of heavy lacta- 
tion or in the latei' stages of pregnaucj% and the greater the yield of 
milk the more rapid the progress of the disease. Heifers with their 
first calf are frequently affected, as these animals require a consider- 
able quantity of animal salts for their own groAvth and for the nourish- 
ment of their calves. 

Symjjtoms. — In marked cases there is a gradual emaciation and 
symptoms of gastro-intestinal catarrh, with depraved appetite, the 
animal eating manure, decayed wood, dirt, leather, etc. Muscular 
weakness is prominent, together with muscle tremors, which simulate 
chills, but are not accompanied by any rise of temperature. The 
animal has a stiff, laborious gait, there is pain and swelling of the 
joints, and constant shifting of the weight from one leg to another. 
The restricted movements of the joints are frequently accompanied 
by a crackling sound, which has caused the name of "creeps" to be 
applied to the disease. The coat is dull and rough and the skin dry 
and hidebound. The animal is subject to frequent sprains or fracture 
of bones without apparent cause, as in lying down or turning around, 
and when such fractures occur they are difficult to unite. The bones 
principally involved are the upper bones of the legs, the haunch bone, 
and the middle bones of the spinal column. The disease in this 
country is confined to localized areas in the Southwest, known as the 
"alkali districts," and in the old dairy sections of New York. The 
cause of this affection is the insuflBciency or total absence of lime salts 
in the food, also to feeding hay of low, damp pastures, kitchen slops, 
and potatoes, or to overstocking lands. It occurs on old, worn-out soil 
devoid of lime salts, and has also been observed to follow a dry season. 

Treatment. — This should consist in a change of food and the artifi- 
cial feeding of lime salts, such as magnesium and sodium phosphate. 
Foods containing mineral salts may be given, such as beans, cowpeas, 
oats, cotton-seed meal, or wheat bran. Cotton-seed meal is one of the 
best foods for this purpose, but it should be fed carefully, as too large 
quantities are injurious to cows. Phosphorus mav also be given in 
one-fourth grain doses twice daily, together with a tablespoonful of 
powdered bone meal or crude calcium phosp ate at each meal. Ordi- 
nary lime dissolved in drinking water (limewater) will also be found 
efficacious in cambating this disease, and can be provided at slight 
expense. A change of pasture to a locality where the disease is 
unknown and a free supply of common salt and bone meal will be the 
most convenient method of treating range cattle. 

sprains. 

The most common accident occurring to bones and joints is a sprain 
of the ligaments uniting the bones, or the tendons uniting the muscles 
and bones. A sprain is the result of a sudden forcing of a joint in an 



266 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

unnatural direction; or, if in a natural direction, beyond the power of 
the ligament or tendon to restrain it proporly, so that part of the fibers 
of either are ruptured. When such an accident occurs pain is imme- 
diately inflicted, varying in degree with the extent of the injur}-, which 
is soon followed by swelling, with more or less heat and tenderness. 
If the seat of the injury be in anj"^ of the limbs, lameness is likely to 
result. Of the causes of sprain, slipping on ice or a wet floor, play- 
ing, or fighting with another animal are the most common. 

SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER JOINT. 

Tliis is likely to occur from any of the causes mentioned above or 
from the animal slipping suddenly into a rut or hole. When such an 
accident occurs, sudden lameness will attract attention. The animal 
will be noticed to drag the leg when walking and to carry it in a cir- 
cular direction, outward and forward, at each step. The leg should 
be carefully examined, pressure over the joint causing the animal to 
evince pain. If the person making the examination is in doubt, it is 
well to make a comparison between the shoulders by pressing first on 
one and then the other. After such an accident the animal should be 
tied up so as to limit so far as possible the use of the injured joint. 
Soft food should be given with a view to keeping the bowels acting 
freely. 

Treatment. — During the first three days the treatment should con- 
sist of cold-water irrigation to check the inflammation and relieve the 
j)ain. Hot fomentations maj' then be applied to hasten the absorption 
of the inflammatorj' fluids. When the pain has somewhat abated, 
equal parts of mercurial ointment and green soap may be rubbed into 
the swollen tissue. Should lameness continue after the tenth day, 
good results will be obtained from tlie application of a blister. This 
may be done by carefullj' clipping the hair off over the joint, includ- 
ing a surface of 4 or 5 inches in circumference, and rubbing in the 
following preparation : 

Powdered cantharides dram. . 1 

Biniodide of mercury do 1 

Vaseline ounce. . 1 

The animal's head should be carefully tied until the third day to 
prevent its licking the blister. The blistered surface should then be 
smeared with lard or vaseline every other day until the scabs fall off. 
Gentle exercise should be allowed after the fourth or fifth day from 
t he application of the blister. If the lameness still remains the blister 
may be repeated in three weeks or a month. 

SPRAIN OF THE FETLOCK. 

This may occur from misstep when the animal is moving rapidly, 
and the twisting or wrenching of the foot is sufficient to rupture par- 
tially the ligaments which bind the bones together at that part. Such 
an accident also frequently occurs by the foot becoming fastened in 



BONEb: DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 267 

a liole in the floor, tiiid the wrenchiiii;- is the result of the animal's 
attempt to liberate it. Lameness, followed by swelling* of the joint 
and i)ain when it is handled, or when the animal Jiioves the joint, and 
heat, are the more notieeable symptoms. If the sprain be very severe 
the animal occasionally does not bear its weight on the limb. 

Treatment. — The most important coi^sideratiou in the treatment of 
this affection is rest, which is best enforced by keeping- the animal in 
the stall and placing strong muslin bandages about the inflamed joint. 
As in the sprain of the shoulder, cold water in the form of douches, 
continuous irrigation Avith hose or soaking tub, or finely chopped ice 
poultices is indicated for the first throe days. Following this apply a 
Priessnitz bandage" moderately tight about the joint, which not only 
conduces to rest, but also favors absorption. Massage with stimulat- 
ing liniments, such as soap or camphor liniment, may later be applied 
to the affected parts. 

If the lameness has not disappeared by the tenth daj^, the blister 
advised for the sprain of the shoulder should be applied, and the 
same precautions observed as to tying the animal's head and subse- 
quent smearing with vaseline. When a blister is applied in this 
locality, the back part of the heel should be first filled with lard or 
vaseline, and care taken to prevent any of the blistering preparation 
from coming in contact with the skin of that part. If this precaution 
is not observed, scratches may ensue and prove troublesome. 

SPRAIN OF THE HIP. 

This is likely to result from the animal slipping in such a way as to 
spread the hind feet wide apart. The patient goes stiff with the hind 
legs, or lame with one hind leg, walking with a straddling gait and 
swinging the leg outward as it is carried forward. Tenderness may 
occasionally be detected on pressure, but owing to the heavy covering 
of muscles outside of the joint this test is not always reliable. 

In the acute cases, give rest and cold local applications. After the 
fourth or fifth day the blister mentioned for sprain of the shoulder 
may be applied with advantage, and if this proves insufficient, we 
may fire in points over the joint as a last resort. 

SPRAIN OF THE BACK. 

Sprain of the back, particularly in the region of the loins, is not an 
uncommon accident among cattle. It is likely to occur from the ani- 

" A Preissnitz bandage is a dressiiig which combines the three properties of 
keeping a part warm, moist, and subjecting it to uniform pressure. It consists of 
three layers of material. The inner layer is composed of absorbent cotton or some 
other material which is capable of holding moisture. This is soaked in water and 
wrapped around the part. The second layer consists of a substance which is 
impervious to moisture, as oiled silk or oiled paper, and is applied about the inner 
layer to prevent evaporation. The third or outside layer is co:np'>sed of a flannel 
or woolen bandage to prevent the radiation of heat and thus keep the moist inner 
layer at the temperature of the body. 



268 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

mal slipping with both liind feet sidewaj^s so as to twist the back, or 
the feet slipping violently backward so that great stress is thrown on 
the loins. The patient moves with difficulty, using the hind parts in 
a guarded manner as if afraid of causing severe pain. Occasionally, 
if the sprain is severe, the animal will rise with difficult3'. Pressure 
on the back in the immediate region of the loins causes pain. Such 
cases may be mistaken for paralysis, and, in fact, in severe cases, 
although the nerve supply is not interfered with, the injury to the 
muscles and resulting pain is so great that the condition is almost 
equal to i)aral3'sis during the early stages of the injury, although 
likely to be attended with more favorable results. Hot applications, 
such as blankets wrung out of hot water and changed at short inter- 
vals, will be likely to afford I'elief during the earlier stages. After- 
Avards the blister mentioned for si)rain of the shoulder may be aj)ijlied 
with advantage. 

FRACTURES (BROKEN BONES) 

Bones may be accidentallj^ broken in many ways and from different 
causes. Fractures in general are likely to be produced by external 
force suddenly and violent!}^ applied, either directly to the part or at a 
distance, the force being transmitted througli the stronger bones until 
it expends itself by breaking a weaker one remote from the seat of 
the injury. Occasionall}^ violent contraction of muscles is sufficient 
to break a bone. Certain bones, those of the limbs in particular, are 
more liable to fractui-e than others, owing to their exposed position. 
The bones of some animals are more easily fractured than those of 
otliers, owing to certain predisjiosing causes, such as age, habit, or 
hereditary constitutional weakness. The bones of an animal advanced 
in years are more subject to fracture because of the preponderance 
of inorganic matter rendering them more brittle. They are also occa- 
sionally rendered liable to fracture by a previously existing diseased 
condition. Fractures are divided into four classes — partial, simple, 
compound, and comminuted. 

PARTIAL FRACTURES. 

Partial fractures are those which are likely to occur in a young 
animal in Avhich the i)reponderance of animal matter or the semicarti- 
laginous condition of the bone renders it tough, so that even when 
considerable force is applied the bone bends, breaking on the side 
opposite that to which the force was applied, after the manner in 
which a green stick would bend and break. 

SIMPLE FRACTURES. 

Simple fracture is one in which the bone is severed in two parts, 
either transversely, longitudinally, or obliquely, without serious injury 
to the adjoining structures. 



bones: diseases and accidents. 269 

COMPOUND FRACTURES. 

Compound fracture is one in which there is an open wound pei'- 
mitting the air to communicate with the ends of the broken bones. 

COMMINUTED FRACTURES. 

Comminuted fracture is one in which the bone is shattered or divided 
into a number of fragments. 

COMPLICATED FRACTURES. 

Complicated fracture is one Avliere otlier structures surrounding the 
bones are injured. 

GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF FRACTURE. 

When a fracture of one or more of the large bones of a limb occurs, 
symptoms are sure to be well marked. After the accident the animal 
refuses to touch the foot to the ground and, if compelled to move, 
does so with great pain and reluctance. There is more or less short- 
ening of the limb, with trembling of the muscles in the vicinitj' of 
the injury; deformity, and increased mobility, so that, instead of the 
natural joints of the limb and the natural muscular control of their 
motion, a new joint is formed where the fracture occurred, over which 
the animal has no control. As the leg hangs dependent from the 
body, shortened by the ends of the bones being forced past one another 
from the muscular contraction which invariably takes place, it swings 
in an awkward and unnatural manner, permitting the toe and foot to 
assume positions in their relations to other parts of the body which 
otherwige would be impossible. If the fractured bone is so situated 
that the parts may be moved one upon another, a grating sound, 
known as crepitus, will be observed. 

GENERAL TREATMENT OF FRACTURES. 

When a fracture occurs, the advisability of attempting treatment 
must first be determined. If the animal be young, valuable, and of 
reasonably quiet temperament, and the fracture not too great in 
extent, the chances of recovery are fair. On the other hand, if the 
animal should be of little value, irritable, advanced in years, and the 
fracture a serious compound or comminuted one, the wiser course 
would generally be to put the creature out of its miser3^ Having 
determined to attempt treatment, no time should be lost in restoring 
the parts as ueai'ly as possible to their natural position and retaining 
them there. If the ends of the bones have been drawn past one 
another, they should, by firm and continuous tension, be drawn out 
until they again assume the position in which they were before the 
accident. All this can better be done before the swelling (which is 
sure to result) takes place. If the swelling has occurred before the 



270 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

injury is noticed, do not attempt to treat it, but proceed at once to 
treat tlie fracture as though tlie swelling were not present, for no step 
can l)e taken toward recovery until the ends of the bone have been 
restored to their proper position. When that is done and proper 
appliances have been used to prevent them from being again mis- 
l^laced, the swelling, which is the result of ij-ritation, will be relieved. 
In selecting the appliances to be used in the treatment of fracture 
the judgment and ingenuity of the operator are of much importance. 
Splints, made of wood shaped to fit the limb and padded with soft 
material where they come in contact with bony prominences, and held 
in position by means of bandages, ai^e the oldest method, and with 
some are still the most popular. The fracture pads used in human 
surgery, and for sale in surgical depots, are very convenient. After 
being dipped in water they may be molded to fit the limb and be 
retained by means of bandages. Heavy sole leather is also used after 
being soaked in warm water and molded to the shape of the limb and 
holes cut in it to fit over any sharp irregularities in the natural shape 
of the bones. Guttapercha sheets are also used and answer well. 
They are prepared and used in the same way as the leather. 

Another and i^erhaps the simplest of all methods is the application 
of a plaster of Paris bandage, which is made as follows: Strips of thin 
cheese cloth 3 inches wide and 8 or 9 feet long are laid flat on a board 
and on them is spread a layer of plaster of Paris about one-eighth of an 
inch thick, then, starting at one end, roll carefully so as to gather 
the plaster in between the layers of the bandage. It is of course 
important that the cloth be thin and the plaster of Paris fresh and 
active. After preparing four or five of such bandages the operator 
is ready to dress the fracture, which, after the parts have been brought 
into position, should be done by covering all that part of the limb to 
which the plaster of Paris bandage is to be applied with a single \a,yev 
of the dry bandage, letting it extend both above and below the part to 
which the plaster of Paris bandage is to be applied and including under 
the folds of the dry bandage at each end a layer of absorbent cotton, 
which is intended to form a pad to prevent the ends of the plaster of 
Paris bandage from chafing the skin beneath. When this is done one of 
the plaster of Paris bandages should be placed in a vessel of water and 
allowed to remain till the air bubbles have ceased to rise from it, which 
will generally indicate that it is soaked through. Then, taking it in the 
hand, wind it carefully around and around the limb, unrolling the band- 
age as it is wound around the limb, occasionally smoothing down the 
lilaster of Pai'is. Should it form roughly or in ridges, the hand may be 
dipped in water to impart increased moisture to it. When about 
finished with one bandage, place another one in the water, so that 
1 1m' winding opei-ation may be continued without delay. The bandages 
should be applied till the cast is from one-half to three-quarters of an 
incli thick, then gently restrain the animal for one-half or three- 



bones: diseases and accidents. 271 

quarters of an hour till the plaster is hardened. Any of the appliances 
used should be so manipulated as to prevent absolutely any motion of 
the detached parts. If the fracture is near a joint, it is generally best 
to include the joint in the appliance. The part of the limb below the 
bandage should be carefully and firmly wrapped with an ordinary 
cotton bandage all the way from the plaster bandage down to the 
hoof. This last bandage will tend to prevent swelling, which is likely 
to occur, the result of the dependent position in which the animal is 
forced by nature to keep the injured limb. 

When plaster of Paris bandages are applied to a compound fracture, 
the injured part may be previously' dressed with a small, thick pad of 
cotton immediately over the wound. In applying the bandage the 
operator maj' with a little care so arrange it as to keep the folds of 
the bandages off the cotton, or have only a thin layer over it, which 
may be easily cut out and the cotton removed, leaving a convenient 
opening througli which to dress the wound without removing the 
bandage. The ends of the bandage or other appliance should be 
carefully watched to see that the skin does not become chafed, par- 
ticularl}' at the lower end. If the bandage should become weak or 
broken at any part, it may be strengthened without removal by apply- 
ing other bandages immediately over it. If swelling has taken place 
before the bandage has been applied, there is likely to be some loosen- 
ing as it disappears, and even without the swelling there is likelj'^ to 
be a tendency of the bandage to slide downward. This may be over- 
come b}' fastening it to a suspender attached to a surcingle or passed 
over the body and attached to the opposite leg. If the looseness can 
not be overcome in this way, the space may be filled by pouring in a 
thin paste of jilaster of Paris. A better method, however, is to 
remove the bandage and apply another. Owing to the hardness of 
the bandage it will be removed with some difficulty. A deep groove 
should be cut down completely through it on the opposite sides. This 
may be done with a chisel and a small hammer, if the bandage is 
carefully held by an assistant so that the concussion of the blows is 
not transmitted to the injured bones. The i^atient should have a 
roomy stall and should be tied by the head to prevent any attempts 
to move around. In some cases slings have been used. Ordinarily, 
however, they are not satisfactorj^ in cattle practice, and if applied 
should only be for a few daj^s at a time and with a view to lessen the 
animaTs disposition to lie down, rather than to ijrevent it. When 
thej^ are used continuously, the pressure on the abdomen is likely to 
interfere with digestion and the general health of the animal. 

Modes of union. — The animal should be kept as quiet as possible 
and given such food as will have a tendency to keep the bowels slightly 
relaxed. The success of the operation will depend chiefly on the skill 
of the operator, but not alone in the selection and use of the appli- 
ances ; for as much attention must be given to subsequent manage- 



272 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ment. The patients aie unreasonable, and a single awkward motion 
may undo the work of weeks so far as the union of the parts of the bone 
is concerned. Union takes place after the same process and, if the 
conditions are favorable, with greater rapidity than in the human 
being. The injury that caused the fracture is almost sure to have 
extended to some of the adjacent tissues, and, even though the frac- 
ture may be of the simplest type, there is almost sure to be consider- 
able hemorrhage around the ends of the broken bone. This, however, 
is unimportant if the skin remains intact, unless a A'cry large vessel 
should be injured, or the fracture should open some of the important 
cavities of the bodj^ in which case a fatal hemorrhage might result. If, 
on the other hand, the fracture be a compound one, the external open- 
ing furnishes a fertile field for the lodgment of disease-producing germs. 
Unless great care is exercised in such cases a suppurative process 
is likely to be established which will seriouslj^ interfere with, if not 
entirely arrest, the process of union between the bones; or it may 
become so serious as to endanger the general health of the animal 
and even be attended with fatal results. This last danger is greater 
where the injury has occurred to the bones of the arm or thigh. In 
such cases, owing to the dense covering of fascia which ensheathes 
the muscular covering, pus is likely to be imprisoned, and, burrowing 
downward, saturate the whole structure, not only endangering the 
limb, but, by absorption, may set up blood poisoning and seriously 
interfere with the general health of the patient, even to causing death. 
In order so far as possible to j)revent such an unfortunate complica- 
tion, the Avound should be carefullj^ cleansed with a mild solution of 
carbolic acid, then dusted over with iodoform before the bandages 
are applied, and cleansed and dressed daily in the same wa3^ After 
dressing always cover with absorbent cotton. In the earlj^ jjrocess of 
union an exudation of lymph takes place, which is at first fluid, grad- 
ually becoming thicker and firmer till it forms a callus in the shape 
of a ring or ferrule surrounding the detached portions of the bone, 
known as the external or ensheathing callus. It occasionally happens 
that this callus only forms at the ends of the bones, filling the spaces 
that exist between them, when :'t is known as the intermediate (^allus. 
The process of union may be divided into five stages. Iii ^he first 
stage, including the first eight days, the detached portions of the bone 
and the sharp projections that are not sufficiently nourished are 
absorbed; the blood which escaped into the surrounding tissues, the 
result of the injury, is gradually absorbed, and the effused lymph, 
which is ultimately to constitute the temporary cartilage, takes its 
place. In the second stage, from the tenth to the twentieth day, the 
tumor or callus is formed and fibrocartilage is developed inside and 
around the exjjosed end of the bone. In the third stage, extending 
from the twentieth to the fortieth or fiftieth day, according to the age 
and strengtli of the animal, the fibrocartilaginous structure under- 



bones: diseases and accidents. 273 

goes a change and is gradnally converted into bone, forming a ferrule 
on the outside and a plug on the inside, which serve to hold the part 
in position. In the fourth stage, extending to about the sixth month, 
the whole of the new structure is converted into bone. The fifth 
stage, extending up to the end of the first j^ear, the callus is absorbed, 
being no longer necessary, and the connection between the cavities 
of the two bones is again established. 

Common complications. — The process of union just described is 
healthy and normal. Diseased conditions nuiy at any time supervene 
during the treatment and render the operation unsuccessful. In the 
case of compound fracture, the open wound communicating with the 
ends of the bones, a septic condition is apt to arise which maj^ become 
so serious as to endanger the animaFs life and bring about conditions 
which in human surgery would indicate amputation. Although that 
operation is not a general one in veterinary practice, there is no rea- 
son why it should not be attempted as a last resort, particularly if the 
animal be valuable or one whose existence is necessary in order to 
perpetuate some valuable strain. Even in th(? simplest form of frac- 
ture, if the sjilints or bandages are improperly applied and the frac- 
tured bone left so loosely guarded that the broken ends move one upon 
another, the formation of the calluses previously described is likely 
to be interfered with, and in place of a strong, rigid, and health}^ 
union a formation of elastic cartilage is the result. This false struc- 
ture unites the broken ends of the bones in such a way that they move 
one upon another, depriving the bone of its stability and usefulness. 
When once the healthy process of union is interrupted in the manner 
just described, it is with great difficult}^ that it can be again estab- 
lished. It no longer does any good to continue the restraining power; 
in fact, the change of the temporary cartilage into bone is more likely 
to be reestablished if the parts move violently upon one another for a 
short time so as to set up and renew the process of inflammation. 
Then if the restraint be again applied there is some chance of union. 
In order so far as possible to avoid this danger, care should be exer- 
cised that the bandage fits closely and that it is kept on till there is 
no longer any danger but that a perfect union has taken place. It is 
impossible to say at just what time the si^lintsor bandages can safely 
be removed. In a young and healthy animal of quiet temperament, 
where the parts have been firmly held in position throughout the 
whole time, from thirty to forty days may be regarded as reasonably 
safe. Under more unfavorable conditions as to age, vitality, and 
restraint, the period would better be extended up to sixty days if the 
general condition of the animal is such as to permit of so long a con- 
tinuance. After the appliance has been removed the animal should 
be allowed to stand quiet for a few days, then given very gentle exer- 
cise, gradually increased over a period of a week or ten daj^s, by 
8267—04 18 



274 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

wliiclitime the patient will be so far recovered as to be placed in pas- 
ture. It should, however, be alone for a time, so as not to take any- 
chance of injury from fighting or other accidents that association with 
other animals might involve. 

SPECIAL FRACTURES. 

Fracture of the horns. — Of the special fractures liable to occur, 
that of the horn is j^erhaps the most common. It is always the result 
of violent mechanical means, such as blows, injury occurring while 
fighting, or from the animal getting its head locked in some manner 
while feeding from a rack. When it occurs there are two ways in 
which the injury is likely to affect the animal. First and most com- 
mon, the horny crust is likely to be stripped from the bony projection 
which it covers. Second, the crust and bone may both be broken or 
bent down, the fracture occurring in that case at the root of the horn 
and involving part of the bones of the head in the immediate vicinity. 
In the first case, where the horny covering is knocked off, little 
attention is necessarj*. The aniinal may be relieved from suffering 
by smearing the stump with pine tar and wrapping it in cloth. If 
the core is much lacerated, perhaps it would be better to amputate. 
The necessity for such ah operation must be determined by the con- 
dition of the injury, influenced to some extent by the ideas of the 
owner on the subject. When the operation is performed, it should be 
done with a sharp, fine-toothed saw, and by sawing the horn off close 
enough to include a little of the skin and hair around its base. The 
practice of dehorning has grown popular in many parts of the coun- 
try. It is a simple operation, and, although attended with some 
immediate suffering, does not produce serious constitutional disturb- 
ance. The advisability of performing the operation on all cattle is a 
question of expediency and must be justified by the expectation of 
benefit on the part of the feeder. If the horn should be bi'oken so 
that the core and crust are bent out of shape without the detachment 
of one from tlie other, it may be restored to its normal position and 
retained there by means of a splint made to fit across the back of the 
head, so as to be laced to both horns, the sound horn serving to hold 
the broken one in position. Such a splint may be fastened on by 
means of either wire or cord and allowed to remain six weeks or two 
months. 

If the horn and core have both been broken off, bleeding is usually 
severe and should be checked by astringents, such as alum, or by 
pressure. After the hemorrhage has ceased the exposed portion of 
the fracture should be covered with pine tar, with or without a ban- 
dage. An imperfect growth of horn will in due time cover the exposed 
bone. 

Fractures of the bones of the face. — These occasionally occur, 
and when over the cavities of the nose i)roduce depression, disfigure- 



bones: diseases and accidents. 275 

ment, and impeded respiratiou, owing to the lessening of the caliber 
of the nasal passages. 

When such an accident occurs, the depressed bone should be gently 
forced back to place by introducing the finger in the nostril, or if the 
fracture be too far up for this, a j^robe may be passed and the parts 
retained by placing a plaster of thin leather or strong canvas smeared 
with tar immediately over it, extending out to the sound surround- 
ings, taking care to embed the hair over the fractured portion in the 
tar of the plaster so it will be firmly held and prevented from again 
becoming depressed. If only one nostril shonhl be involved, the 
depressed portion may be held in position by packing the nostril on 
that side with absorbent cotton. This practice, however, has the 
objection of giving the animal great discomfort, and in some cases a 
disposition to aggravate the injury. 

Fractuke op the skull (cranium). — Fractures of the bones 
forming the cavity in which the brain is situated are, owing to their 
strength, comparatively rare among cattle. Such an accident can 
only be the result of external violence, and it is hardly possible that 
it could occur without some fragment of the broken bone pressing 
upon the brain so as to cause coma or other severe nervous derange- 
ment, or even <-eath. 

If the animal survives the first shock, the efforts should be directed 
toward relieving the pressure, which may be done by making an open- 
ing in the bone (trephining) and with a hook drawing the depressed 
part outward. Interference is not so likel}^ to be attended with good 
results as to be warranted in all cases. The effects of a \ery severe 
shock which may not have produced a fracture, although the symp- 
toms were alarming, will in many cases pass off, leaving the animal 
in a better condition than if an operation had been performed. 

Fracture of the lower jaw. — This occasionally occurs, and is 
more likely to result from the kick of a horse than from any other 
cause. The front part of the jaw is likely to be split or shattered in 
any direction in which the force may have been applied. Bloody dis- 
charges from the mouih and failure to eat or ruminate are symptoms 
most likely to attract attention. 

The treatment is simple, and consists of first removing detached 
pieces of bone, then drawing the parts together and retaining them by 
means of pieces of copper wire fastened around the teeth, and feeding 
the animal on sloppy food until recovery takes place. The wound 
should be dressed once or twice a day with a 3 per cent solution of 
carbolic acid, forced gentlj- in with a syringe, so as to remove any food 
which may have become impacted and interfere with the healing 
process. 

Fracture op the vertebra (spinal column). — This is not so 
common among cattle as other animals. If the fracture should be 
through the body of the bone there is likely to be pressure on or lace- 



276 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ration of the spinal cord, causing paralysis of all parts posterior to the 
seat of injury. Fractures of the prominences on the vertebra occasion- 
ally occui- Avithout interfering- with the canal in which the spinal cord 
is located. Such accidents are likely to pass unnoticed, for, although 
the animal may suffer considerable pain, it is not likely to be mani- 
fested in such a way as to attract attention, and the deep covering of 
muscles serves to effectually conceal the injury. When the fracture 
occurs in the upper part of the neck, paralysis of the muscles used in 
respiration must result, and death from asphyxia very shortly ensues. 
The more common accident is to the loins, and when a fracture of the 
body of the vertebra occurs in this region so as to produce pressure 
on the spinal cord, paralysis of the hind legs and quarters is the result. 
Diagnosis of such an accidentis more difficult than in the case of any 
other fracture. The parts can not be moved one upon another so that 
crepitus is noticeable. The heavy coating of muscles conceals irregu- 
larities of shape which would otherwise be likely to attract attention. 
About the only reliable symptom is paralysis or loss of use and sensa- 
tion of the parts posterior to the injury. Careful examination may 
reveal the seat of the injury. If it was the result of a blow, there is 
likely to be some abrasion of the skin. The diagnosis is only impor- 
tant as an aid in determining the proper course to pursue. 

If paralysis is present and a depression or irregularity of the spinal 
column is so apparent as to leave no doubt of the existence of a 
fracture, the only alternative is to destroy the animal, for of recovery 
there can be no hope. If, on the other hand, the paralysis is incom- 
plete and there is no depression or irregularity of the spinal column or 
other evidence of fracture, the patient should be made as comfortable 
as possible b}^ being placed in a well-bedded box stall and a few days 
permitted to elapse before the case is abandoned. The symptoms last 
described might possibly be the result of a severe strain of the muscles 
of the loins, in which case an improvement will soon be noticeable. 

Fractures of the pelvis. — The pelvis, or bony framework which 
gives shape to the posterior part of the body, is liable to fracture in 
many waj's. A common one is by a separation of the two bones which 
constitute the whole i^elvis along the bottom and center line (symphysis 
pubis). In early life the two bones are separate and distinct. The 
union between them, which is at first cartilaginous, undergoes a change 
and is converted into bone, so that in adult life the whole pelvis is 
practically^ one bone. The point on which the two bones are united is 
weaker than tlie adjoining parts of the bone. When an animal slips vio- 
lently, spreading the legs wide apart, the weaker materials give way and 
the bones are divided. If the accident is noticed when it occurs, it is 
likely to throw light on the nature of the injury. The animal will imme- 
diately go stiff behind, the legs being spread apart. Further examina- 
tion may be made by introducing the hand, previously carefully oiled, 
into the rectum or vagina and pressing down along the central line, 



bones: diseases and Acri dents. 277 

which will Otiiise the patient to evince acute pain. In this case no 
appliance can be used to advantage. The animal shonld be tied in a 
stall until the parts become i-eunited and the lameness disappears. 

Fractnre of the posterior part of the bone (ischium) which forms 
the point of the buttocks occasionally occurs. The buttock on the 
injured side will be less prominent than the other. Careful manipu- 
lation will generally move the parts so that crepitus may be recog- 
nized. If the fracture is through the posterior part of the bone, it is 
unimportant and deserving of no more attention than placing the 
animal in such a position as to insure it against subsequent injury 
until the bones are united. Some distortion is likely to result, but 
not sufficient to warrant interference. 

Fracture through the bodj^ of the bone on a line with the hii3 joint 
(acetabulum) occasionally, though rarely, occurs, and is nearlj^ always 
associated with dislocation of the hip joint and the forcing of the head 
of the upper bone of the leg (femur) upward, far out of its place. 
The violent contraction of powerful muscles of the hip renders it 
imi30ssible to reduce the dislocation, and even if it were possible the 
fractured pelvis could not be held in position, so that the case becomes 
at once a hopeless one. It may be recognized by the animal stand- 
ing on three legs, the leg on the injured side seeming shorter than 
its fellow and hanging pendulous, the muscles of the hip violently 
contracted and hard to the touch. The animal evinces great pain 
when the limb is moved. There is likely to be some apparent distor- 
tion in the relations between the point of the hip and the point of the 
buttock. This will be more readily noticed by comparing the injured 
side with the other. The parts may be moved so as to produce 
crepitus. The examination may be completed by introducing the 
oiled hand into the vagina or rectum, when the two sides of the pelvis 
will reveal well-marked differences. 

Fkacture of the point of the hip, — The anterior and external 
part of the pelvis (ilium), commonly known as the point of the hip, 
is liable to fracture, which stock owners describe as "hipping," or 
being "hipped," or having the hi]3 "knocked down." This accident 
is likely to be the result of crowding while passing through a narrow 
door, of falling violently on the point of the hip, or from a violent 
blow directed downward and forward against it. The lesion generally 
extends across the flat surface of the bone from its outer and posterior 
edge forward and inward. Distortion is likely to l)e the only notice- 
able symptom. The detached portion varies in size in different 
cases and with it the resulting deformity. The animal is noticed to 
be slightly lame, but this symptom soon disapi^ears. The detached 
portion of the bone is drawn downward and away from the main jiart 
by the action of the muscles below, which are so powerful as to render 
return impossible. The bones therefore remain permanently sepa- 
rated, union taking place by fibrous callus. The animal suffers very 



278 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

little inconvenience, and for practical use may be serviceable as before 
the accident, though the distorted appearance depreciates its value. 

Fracture of the ribs. — Such an occurrence can take place only 
as the result of a direct injury, as from blows or crowding. The pos- 
terior ribs, being more exposed, are more liable to fracture. Pain in 
moving, slight swelling over the seat of injurj^ and difficult breathing 
are obvious symptoms. If the fracture be complete, crepitation may 
be occasionally noticed bj' placing the hand flat over the injured part, 
observing carefully the motion as the chest contracts and expands 
during respiration. This sjnnptom is more noticeable when the animal 
coughs. Unless the point of the broken bone penetrates the cavity 
of the chest the fracture is usually unimportant and calls for no treat- 
ment other than quiet. If the breathing is very labored and attended 
with much pain, motion may be limited by applying a wide bandage 
firmly around the chest. The animal should be restricted in the 
amount of food and water for a few days, the stomach being kept as 
nearly empty as j)ossible. Sloppy food should be given to encourage, 
as much as possible, free action of the diaphragm in breathing. 

Fracture of bones of the limbs. — On this subject much has 
been said in the preceding remarks on general fractures. As a rule, 
fracture through one of the large bones of the shoulder (scapula) or 
thigh (femur) is very difficult to manage. The powerful contraction 
of the muscles and the changing shape of the limb resulting from 
their action renders it impossible to retain the detached parts of the 
bone in proper position. Therefore, though the union should take 
place, there is almost sure to be considerable deformity and more or 
less lameness. Fracture of the arm (humerus) or leg (tibia) is likely 
to be attended with better results. The muscular covering is not so 
thick, the sheath in which they are held is more tense, and the change 
in the shape of the limb from muscular action not so noticeable, the 
muscular force not so great, all of which facilitate replacing in posi- 
tion the dislodged ends and retaining them. 

Fracture op the knee (carpus) and hock (tarsus). — Unless it 
is the result of a very violent injury this seldom occurs, and is gener- 
ally associated with other injury and serious complications. Dis- 
placement does not generally occur to any considerable extent. The 
treatment, of course, will consist in holding the limb perfectly quiet 
in a natural position, which may be done by the application of long 
wooden splints retained by bandages, or a plaster of Paris bandage. 

Fractures below^ the knee. — Fracture of the long bone below the 
knee (metacarpus) and hock (metatarsus) is more common. In young 
animals of quiet temperament the treatment of simple fractures here 
is likely to be attended with good results. On the other hand, a 
compound fracture in this region becomes a serious matter. The 
structures which surround the bones are so thin that a very small 
degree of sloughing will expose parts of the bones and be likely to 
lead to serious complications and i)robably fatal results. 



bones: diseases and accidents. 279 

Fractures of bones below the fetlock. — Tliose fractures are 
comparatively unimportant unless associated with other serious 
injury. The parts can generally be held in ]>osition without much 
difficulty, and union generally takes place quite rapidly. 

Appliances. — Of the appliances used in the treatment of the frac- 
ture of limbs above the knee, splints made of wood or iron strips and 
bandages are likely to serve best. Below the knee plaster of Paris 
bandages are preferable. The writer is well aware that many of the 
standard authors deprecate the use of the latter, but an extensive 
experience leads me to believe that they have many advantages over 
any of the other appliances when used alone, and they may in manj^ 
ways be used with advantage in combination with others. 

dislocations. 

Luxation, or displacement of the bones forming a joint without 
fracture, is comparativeh' rare among cattle. It most frequently 
occurs in the stifle joint, where dislocation of the kneepan (patella) 
takes place. A glance at the skeleton (PI. XXV) will show the rela- 
tions better than they can be described. It will be observed that the 
small irregularly shaped bone (patella) plays on the anterior rounded 
part of the lower end of the thigh bone (femur) and between it and the 
upper end of the shank bone (tibia). The outer ridge on the lower 
end of the thigh bone is less prominent than the inner one, so that dis- 
placement, when it does take place, is by slipping outward. Such an 
accident may occur from direct injury or external force, as a blow, or 
from slipping. When it does occur the symptoms produced are some- 
what alarming. The animal is unable to draw the leg forward, and 
either stands with it thrown back with the toe pointing downward or, 
if it should succeed in getting its weight upon it, holds it firmly on the 
ground, fearing to move it. Examination of the outside of the joint 
will disclose the situation of the patella outside of its proper place. 
If the operator is not familiar with the normal appearance of the joint, 
it is well to make a comparison between the injured and the sound 
one. If compelled to move, the animal does so with great difticulty, 
jerking the leg which it is unable to bring forward, hopj)ing with the 
other and partially dragging the injured one. 

Treatment. — The treatment is simple. A rope 20 feet long should 
be applied around the fetlock of the affected leg, passed forward 
between the front legs and up over the opposite side of the neck, back 
over the withers, and wrapped once behind the elbow around tliat por- 
tion of the rope which passes between the front legs. The leg is then 
drawn away from the body and forcibly pushed forward bj^ an assist- 
ant, while another person tightens up the slack in the rope until the 
affected leg is off the ground in front of the supporting leg. The rope 
is then drawn taut and the assistant grasps the tail and pulls the cow 
toward the affected side. The animal makes a lurch to keep from 
falling, contracts the muscles, and the patella slips into place with a 



280 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

sharp click, and the animal walks off as if nothing had happened. If 
tihe animal resists this method of handling, it may suffice to manipu- 
late the dislocated kneepan by shoving it inward and forward with 
the heel of the hand while the affected leg is drawn well forward. 
Unless some precaution is taken the accident is liable to recur, as the 
ligaments have been stretched by the dislocation till they no longer 
hold the bone with that firmness necessary to retain it. The animal 
should be tied and the foot fastened forward, so that the patient can 
just stand on it comfortably, by means of a rope or strap around the 
fetlock carried forward between the front legs around the neck and 
tied on the breast. 

Should this accident occur more than once it is a good practice to 
apj)ly a blister around the joint, as in the formula recommended for 
sprain of shoulder, and observe the precautions as to restraint and subse- 
quent treatment there recommended. With this one exception, disloca- 
tions in the ox occurring independently of other complications are rare. 

Dislocation with fracture may occur in any of the joints, and where 
one is suspected or discovered, examination should always be made 
for the other before treatment is applied. When a fracture occurs in 
the vicinitj' of a joint the force sufficient to rend the bone is likely to be 
partly exerted on the immediate tissues, and when the bone gives way 
the structures of the joints are likely to be seriously injured. It occa- 
sionally happens that the injury to the joint becomes the most impor- 
tant complication in the treatment of a fracture. In order clearly to 
understand the reason for this a few words are neeessarj^ in relation 
to the structure of joints. 

The different pieces constituting the skeleton of the animal body 
are united in such a manner as to admit of more or less motion one 
upon another. In some of the more simple joints the bones fitting 
one into another are held together by the dense structures around 
them, admitting of very little or no movement at all, as the bones of 
the head. In other joints the bones are bound together by dense car- 
tilaginous structures, admitting of only limited motion, such as the 
union of the small bones at the back part of the knee and hock 
(metacarpal and metatarsal). In the more perfect form of joint the 
power of motion becomes complete and the structures are more com- 
plex. The substance of the bone on its articular surface is not cov- 
ered with periosteum, but is sheathed in a dense, thin layer of carti- 
lage, shaped to fit the other surfaces w^ith which it comes in contact 
(articular). This layer is thickest toward its center when covei'ing 
bony eminences, and is elastic, of a pearly whiteness, and resisting, 
though soft enough to be easily cut. The bones forming an articula- 
tion are bound together by numerous ligaments attached to bony 
prominences. The whole joint is sealed in by a baud or ribbon-like 
ligament (capsular ligament) extending around the joint and attached 
at the outer edge of the articular surface, uniting the bones and her- 



bones: diseases and accidents. 281 

metically sealing the cavities of the articulation. This structure and 
the articular surface of the bone is covered by a thin, delicate mem- 
brane, known as the "synovial membrane," which secretes the joint 
oil (synovia). This fluid is viscid and colorless, or slightly j^ellow, 
and although it does not possess a large amount of fat, its character 
somewhat resembles oil, and it serves the same purpose in lubi-i- 
cating the joints that oil does to the friction surfaces of an engine. 
Although the tissues of the joint when used in a natural way are able 
to withstand the effect of great exertion, when unnaturally used, as 
they are very delicate and complex, they are liable to inflammatory 
and other changes of a very serious nature. The synovial membrane, 
and in fact the whole structure of the joint, is susceptible to injury 
and serious inflammatory derangement, and the capsular ligament is 
liable to be distended from excessive secretion of synovia. The lat- 
ter process may be almost noninflammatory, and attended with little 
inconvenience or importance other than a blemish to the animal, 
which in cattle is not serious. It may occur on the back part of the 
leg above the fetlock or on the inner and fore part of the hock, cor- 
responding in its location to windgalls and bog spavin of the hoi'se. 
Continuous support by bandages will generally force reabsorption, 
and as the limb is not subjected to violent action, as in the case of the 
horse, the affection is not so liable to recur. 

SPAVIN. 

Occasionally working oxen that are used in the lumber woods and 
made to pull heavily, with bad footing, are afflicted with this condi- 
tion. ■ AVhen it occurs lameness is the first symptom. During the 
early stages of the disease the lameness is most severe in the morning 
and disappears after the animal is exercised; it gradually becomes 
more severe as the disease advances, so that when the disease is well 
established the animal is lame continuously. Shortly after the lame- 
ness appears a bunch (exostosis) will be noticed on the inner and fore 
part of the affected joint. This bunch differs from bog spavin in that 
it is hard, while bog spavin is soft. It increases in size as the disease 
advances till the animal is too lame to be used for labor. As the dis- 
ease is always attended with considerable pain there is more or less 
loss of flesh. In the most advanced stage the animal will step with 
difficulty, frequently holding the foot from the ground, or, if forced 
to take a few steps, stands with it elevated, twitching with pain. In 
the earlier stage of the disease only a small portion of the fore part 
of the lower, or second, articulation is involved, but the inflammatory 
process gradually extends over the whole surface of the lower joints 
of the hock. The structures of the joint are broken down and the 
bones are united (anchylosis). This process may include any or all 
of the three lower joints of the hock. The joint of motion which is 
situated on the lower end of the leg bone is seldom involved. 



282 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Treatment. — Treatment of spavin in the ox, as in the horse, is 
likely to be tedious, and not always resultin<>: in perfect cure. Usu- 
allj" it is best to fatten the animal for slaughter. If, however, treat- 
ment is decided upon, it should consist of complete rest and counter- 
irritation of the part either by sharp blisters or the firing iron. It 
is advisable to try the effect of blistering first, and for this purpose 
the following mixture is recommended: 

Powdered cantliarides drams. . 3 

Biniodide of mercury . do S 

Vaseline ounces. . 14^ 

Clip the hair off and apply over the inner and fore part of the joint, 
covering the surface an inch and a half in every direction from the 
enlargement, or over an area three to four inches acioss. Fasten the 
animal's head so that it can not reach the part to lick it ; after the third 
day grease with lard every other day until the scabs come off. This 
blister may be repeated three or four times at intervals of three 
weeks. The lameness will genei'ally begin to disappear about the 
third or fourth month if the above treatment proves beneficial. 
Should lameness j)ersist, firing in points by a qualified v^eterinarian 
may effect the desired result and should be tried as a last resort. 

In a case of spavin the cure is not effected by restoring the dis- 
eased parts to their natural condition, but by uniting the bones and 
obliterating the joints. If this union extends over the whole articular 
surface of the joiuts affected and is sufficiently strong to prevent any 
motion of the bones, the animal will again go sound. The joints that 
are obliterated, not being those of motion, are not important, so that 
the animal suffers no inconvenience in their loss. 

RHEUMATISM. 

Rheumatism is a constitutional disease due to a specific condition 
of the blood and characterized by inflammation of the fibrous struc 
tures of the body. It is usually accompanied by stiffness, lameness, 
and fever. The parts affected are usually swollen, but swelling may 
be lacking. The inflammation may be transitory — that is, it changes 
from place to place. The parts usually affected are the fibrous strtic- 
tures of the joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. The serous mem- 
branes and heart may also be affected. According to its location, 
rheumatism is specified as articular or muscular. According to its 
course, it is designated as acute or chronic. 

Cause. — Among the factoi-s which are activel}' causative of rheuma- 
tism may be mentioned exposure to dampness and cold, especially 
while the animal is perspiring or fatigued after severe physical exer- 
tion. Among otlier causes often mentioned are acidity of the blood, 
nervous derangement, microbes, and injuries. It occasionally follows 
another disease, such as pleurisj*. The influence of age and heredity 



bones: diseases and accidents. 283 

may be considered as secondary or predisiDosinjj; causes. Sometimes 
the disease appears without anj^ apparent cause. On the whole, it may 
be said that any of the above-mentioned factors may have more or less 
influence on the production of rheumatism, but the si:>ecific cause is 
as yet unknown. 

Syniptoius of articular rheumatlsin. — The symptoms appear sud- 
denly and with varying degrees of severity. The animal presents a 
downcast appearance, with staring coat, horns and ears cold, and the 
mouth and muzzle hot and dry. Appetite and rumination may be 
impaired and followed later or be accompanied at the same time bj'' 
constipation. Constij^ation may be followed by impaction of the 
stomach or bowels. Thirst is increased, but the amount of urine 
voided is scanty. Respiration and pulse are accelerated, and there is 
usually a fever, rising sometimes as high as 108° F. The animal pre- 
fers to lie down, and when forced to rise stands with its back arched. 
The movements are stiff and lame and cause great pain. The disease 
may attack one or more joints at the same time; in fact, it is often 
symmetrical. One joint may improve while another becomes affected, 
thus showing the shifting tendency of the inflammation. The affected 
joints, including their tendons, ligaments, and synovial membranes, 
may be swollen, hot, and distended with liquid. They are very ten- 
der, and, if treated carelessly or injured, may become infected, thus 
leading to suppuration. While rheumatism attacks perhaps more fre- 
quently the knees and fetlocks, it has no special affinity for any joint 
and may attack the stifle, hip, shoulder, or elbow joint. In mild 
cases of articular rheumatism, the animal may fully recover in a few 
days. 

In chronic articular rheumatism there is less tendency of the dis- 
ease to shift about, but there is a greater liability of structural change 
in the affected joints. This change may consist of induration, exos- 
tosis, or even anchylosis. These structural changes about the joints 
may lead to permanent deformitj^ such as bending of the neck. 
Fever is not so constant in the chronic form as in the acute, and the 
latter may lapse into the former. 

8ij))i2)toms of muscular rheumatism. — This form of rheumatism may 
appear under the same general conditions as the articular form. The 
general appearance of the animal is the same in both forms. The cow 
usually assumes a recumbent position, and all the movements made 
are stiff and lame. The method of rising or of locomotion indicates 
pain in certain muscles or groups of muscles, as of the croup, shoulder, 
or neck. As in the case of articular rheumatism, the tendons, liga- 
ments, and synovial membranes may become involved. The constitu- 
tional symptoms in both articular and muscular rheumatism are sim- 
ilar, so that it is often perplexing to differentiate between the two 
forms. 

Prevention. — It is somewhat difficult to procure preventive treat- 



284 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

meut for oattle, especially when there are large numbers -with little 
or no shelter. In general it is advisable to protect the animals so far 
as possible from inclement weather conditions, sneh as (u)ld rains, 
lieavy dews, and frosts. This is more particularly necessary for ani- 
mals in poor condition, or those which are persi^iring or fatigued after 
long physical exertion. Careful feeding is also essential. 

Treatment. — In attempting to treat cattle for rheumatism the first 
step is to procure proper shelter and environment. The animal 
should be quartered in a large, clean, dry stall with plenty of light 
and fresh air, but protected from strong drafts. There should be an 
abundance of clean, dry bedding. Tlie food should be soft and easily 
digestible and slightly laxative, and the animal should have access to 
clean, pure, cool water. 

For general or constitutional treatment of acute rheumatism, 
sodium salicylate is indicated. In order to gain the best results from 
this drug, it should be administered with the idea of rapidly saturat- 
ing the system. To cattle it may be given in doses of one-half ounce 
every two hours for ten hours or until immediate relief is obtained. 
This drug should not be continued indefinitely, but may be given 
once a day after immediate relief has been obtained, and this single 
dose continued daily until permanent relief ensues, when it should 
be stopped. The use of sodium salicylate in chronic rheumatism is 
not advisable on account of the danger of depressing the heart, whose 
action is already somewhat impaired by the lesions which have 
attacked it. In this case one-half ounce doses of potassium nitrate or 
bicarbonate may be given three times a day. Besides the constitu- 
tional treatment, it may be necessary to give special attention to the 
bowels in order to relieve constipation. Cattle may be given saline 
laxatives at the outset, such as 1 pound of Epsom salts for an 
ordinary-sized cow, and the bowels kept regular by an occasional 
smaller dose. 

In chronic rheumatism the best course of treatment is to give tonics 
and local treatment. Local treatment may also be advisable in acute 
rheumatism in addition to tlie constitutional treatment already pre- 
scribed. 

External treatment depends solely on the local conditions and should 
l)e applied judiciously. Among the various remedies may be men- 
tioned hot or cold moist packs, hot air and vapor baths, friction, etc. 
Aiiodynes are often applied locally with good results. Blisters are 
occasionally indicated. As anodynes m-Aj be mentioned liniments 
and ointments containing salicylic acid or sodium salicylate in com- 
bination with laudanum, aconite, or chloral hydrate. C^amphorated 
spii'it, soap liniment, and essential oils also afford some relief when 
applied locally. Of blisters, those containing cantharides are most 
effective. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXV. 




SURGICAL 0PERATI0]^8. 

By the late Dr. Wii^liam Dickson. 
Veterinarian to the State Farmers' Institute of Minnesota, 



Dr. William Herbert Lowe, 
State Veterinarian of Neiv Jersey; President of the State Board of Veterinary 
Medical Examiners of Neiv Jersey ; former Superintendent of the Animal Quar- 
antine Station for the Port of Neio York. 

[Revised in 1904 by "William Herbert Lowe.] 

Surgery is both a science and an art. The success of surgical 
operations depends upon the judgment, skill, and dexteritj', as well 
as upon the knowledge, of the operator. The same fundamental 
principles underlie and govern animal and human surgeiy, although 
their applications have a wide range and are verj^ different in many 
essential particulars. We must not lose sight of the fact that hygiene 
and sanitation are essential to the best results in veterinary as well 
as in human surgT 

Asepsis is an ideal condition which, although not always jsossible 
in animal surgery, is highly important in connection with the mechan- 
ical details of all surgical operations in proportion to the nature and 
seriousness of the same. Aseptic surgery may be said to be such as 
is preserved from contamination by poisonous materials, whether 
such poisons be applied directly to it or be generated in it by the 
action of germs that gain access to it and find within it the conditions 
favorable to their growth. It should be borne in mind that there are 
three ways that a wound may be kept aseptic; by the protection it 
receives from the first, at the hands of the surgeon, from the access 
of septic agents; by the power of living tissue to resist and destroy 
septic agents, and by application to the wound of substances which 
destroy them. 

Local and general anesthesia should be resorted to in painful and 
serious surgical operations, as operations upon all living creatures 
should be humanely performed and all unnecessary pain and suffering 
avoided. Anesthesia is necessary where absolute immobilitj^ of the 
patient is essential, and where entire muscular relaxation is indispen- 
sable. The anesthetic condition is also favorable for the reduction of 
displaced organs. 



286 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Large animals have to be cast and secured before an anesthetic is 
administered. For complete anesthesia chloroform is generally em- 
ployed; sometimes ether and chloroform. A sponge is wet with the 
anesthetic and placed in a nosebag and the animal allowed to inhale 
the fumes. The amount of chloroform requii-ed to produce insensi- 
bility to external impressions varies much in diiferent cases and must 
be regulated, as well as the admixture of air, by a competent assistant. 

If the probability of the success of an operation is remote and the 
animal is in a healthy physical condition, so that its flesh is good for 
human food, it is more advisable to let the butcher have the animal 
than to attempt a surgical operation that offers little encouragement 
to the owner. The best judgment has to be exercised in determining 
a matter of this kind, for no animal suffering from inflammation or 
that is in a feverish condition is fit for human food. 

All cases of major operative surgery require the skill and dexterity 
of the experienced veterinary surgeon, and no one else should attempt 
such an operation, for unnecessary suffering must be prevented as 
well as the success of the operation attained. Nevertheless, the more 
knowledge and understanding an owner of animals has of surgical 
operations and manipulations, the better for all concerned. In the 
first place, such an owner will appreciate more fully the skill of the 
qualified veterinarian, and, in the second place, he will be the better 
prepared and equipped to render assistance to his suffering dumb 
dependents where no practitioner is accessible and in cases of emer- 
gency. There are, moreover, sundry operations upon cattle, some of 
which can hardly be classed as surgical, that the stockman and farmer 
should be able to perform himself. 

In the performance of any operation upon an animal of the size and 
strength of the bull or cow, the first consideration is to secure the ani- 
mal in such a manner as to preclude the possibility of its injuring 
either itself or those taking any part in the operation, for two or more 
are invariably necessary. The nature and time likely to be occupied 
by an operation must, of course, largely determine the method to be 
adopted. 

The majority of operations with which the present chapter is con- 
cerned are usually performed on the animal in a standing position. « 
To secure the cow in this position, grasp the nose, the finger and 
thumb being introduced into the nostrils, and press against the carti- 
lage which makes a division between them. If she has horns, grasp 
one of them with the disengaged hand. If this is insufiicient the ani- 
mal should be secured to a post, the side of a building or put in a 
stanchion. A very excellent method of restraint is to tie a long rope 
in a slip noose over the horns, pass it around the chest just behind 
the fore legs, taking a half hitch on itself, taking another half hitch 
in front of the hind limbs, passing the free end under the tail, bring- 



« A bull should always be held by a stafif attached to the ring in his nose. 



SUBGICAL OPEEATIONS. 287 

ing it forward and making- it fast either to the head or one of the 
hitches. The head should be raised to the level of the back before 
the final knot is tied, so as to render it too serious and painful a mat- 
ter for her to repeat the first attempt she makes to lower it. Should 
the nature or extent of the operation be likely to take up a consider- 
able length of time, it is invariably the best plan to throw the animal. 
In the case of the ox this is verj^ easily done, either by use of liorse 
hobbles, should they be at hand, or by the application of a simple 
rope. If the horse hobbles are used, they should be fastened on the 
leg just above the fetlocks (ankle joints), as they are in that position 
less liable to come off than if placed around the pastern. 

Of the many ways of applying the rope for this purpose we will 
describe two onh% which we consider the best and simplest: 

First. Take a long, strong rope (one which has been used a few times 
is more flexible), double it, and at 2 or 3 feet from the doubled end, 
according to the size of the animal, make a knot and pass the collar 
thus formed over the animal's head, allowing it to rest on what would 
be the collar place in a horse. Now pass the ends of the roj^e between 
the fore legs, carry one around each hind leg just above the fetlock 
joint, from outside in, under itself once, and bring the free ends for- 
ward, passing each through the collar loop on its own side and bring- 
ing the slack back toward and bej^ond the hind quarters. (PI. XXVI, 
fig. 2. ) Two or three stout men should then take hold of each rope and 
at a given signal pull. The animal's hind legs being drawn forward, 
the balance is lost, and if the animal does not fall or lie down he can 
be readily pushed over on his side and secured in the desired position. 

Second. The three half hitches. Take a rope 30 or more feet long, 
make a slip noose at the end and pass it over the animal's horns, 
leaving the knot in the loop between the horns; then pass the rope 
backward along the neck to the withers, just in front of which take a 
half hitch on it, passing it along the back, take one half hitch just 
behind the forelegs and a second in front of the hind limbs round the 
flank. (PI. XXVI, fig. 1.) The free end of the rope is taken hold of 
by one or two assistants while another holds the animal's head. By 
pulling firmly on the rope, or inducing tlie animal to make a step or 
two forward while steady traction is made on the rope, the beast will 
quietly lie down, when his feet can be secured in the way most con- 
venient for the operator. 

There are numerous other methods, involving more or less complete 
restraint, which may be equally efSicacious, but one or other of the 
ways indicated will aoubtless be found to meet fully all ordinary cases. 

RINGING THE BULL. 

This is usually and ought always to be done before the calf has 
attained sufficient weight or strength to make his restraint a matter 
of serious difficulty. An ordinary halter is usually all that is required, 



'JSS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

the strap being secured to a tree or post. A jointed steel or copper 
I'ing is ordinarily used. Those made of the latter metal are prefer- 
able. 

The common method of i3iinching- a round piece out of the nasal 
septum for the introduction of the ring is, I think, open to objection, 
as portions of the fine nervous filaments are destroyed. The sensi- 
bility of the parts is thus lessened and the object of ringing to some 
extent defeated. The insertion of the ring by means of a trocar and 
canula is preferable, as the method is not open to this objection. 

For some years we have used a little instrument which can be made 
by any worker in metal, consisting of a steel point riveted into a short 
canula made to fit on one end of the ring while open. (PL XXVIII, 
fig. 11.) When attached to the ring it is easily and quickly passed 
through the septum, the half of the ring following as a matter of 
course. It can then be removed, and the ends of the ring brought 
together and fastened by means of the screw for that purpose. JBy 
this means any animal can readily be ringed by anj^one in less time 
than it takes to describe the process; whereas, by any other method 
which necessitates first puncturing or piercing the septum and subse- 
quently introducing the ring, the operation is, even when the animal's 
struggles do not complicate matters, necessarily rendered tedious and 
uncertain by the fact that the openings through the skin and cartilage 
are not in apposition. 

DEHORNING. 

In this and other countries for some years past controversies have 
from time to time been cai*ried on not only as to the advisability 
of dehorning, but also as to the propriety of the proceeding. The 
advocates of wholesale removal of horns in many cases exaggerate 
alike the necessity and the advantages accruing from the practice; on 
the other hand, their opponents are backed by the ultra humanitarian 
Avho stigmatizes the operation as barbarous, or worse. In some coun- 
tries these views are upheld even by courts of law whose legal acumen 
is able to detect in the procedure grave cruelty to animals. 

In this country owners are left to decide matters of this sort for 
themselves, but a work of this kind would hardlj^ be complete without 
some expression of an opinion on the subject which might be helpful 
to the dubious when the matter comes up for decision. Justly, then, 
does the operation amount to cruelty? We answer distinctly. It does 
not. Cruelt}^ to animals is defined as the infliction of unnecessary 
pain. Now, the operation of dehorning causes pain certainly, as all 
surgical operations necessarily do, but it is not bj' anj^ means more 
painful than man}- other operations (notably castration), to which we 
regularly subject individual animals without a second thought. More- 
over, the pain is transient as well as slight, and, as a matter of fact, 
pales into insignificance before the severe and lasting torture inflicted 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 289 

as a matter of everyday occurrence by animals upon eaeli other when 
left to wear in confinement their weapons of olfense, which, although 
doubtless of utility in a wild state, aie, in a state of domesticity, a men- 
ace to their companions and a dangerous incumbrance to themselves. 

The matter has acquired enhanced importance from the fact that, 
owing to the strenu<ius efforts made by the United States Department 
of Agriculture, the invidious discrimination which barred the entrance 
to Europe of American stockers has been removed, and our cattle 
now make lengthened journeys by land and sea. The removal of 
their horns will, then, not only lessen the owner's risk, but will also 
add materially to the comfort and safetj' of the animals themselves. 

But there is fortunately within the reach of all an open avenue of 
escape from that portion of the operation Avhich supplies the only 
cogent argument against the practice under discussion. 

The owner of the two or three days old calf, if he wishes it to all 
intents and purposes a "mooUy," can dehorn it, or, more correctly 
speaking, prevent horns ever developing, by means of a chemical prep- 
aration which reduces the pain to a minimum, while it is even more 
effectual than either the saw or forceps. There are sevei'al chemical 
dehorners advertised in the open market, most or all of them effective, 
but the cheapest and simplest consists of a stick of caustic potash. 

The operation is performed as follows, and is uniformly successful, 
if performed before the calf is three daj'^s old : The little animal is 
caught and gently laid over on its side, in which position it is easily 
held bj^ one assistant while the operator clips the hair off the trifling 
prominence on the frontal bone which marks the spot on the upper- 
most side of the head where the horn would be developed if not inter- 
fered with. He then takes his stick of potash, dips it in cold water, 
and carefully rubs it over the part just clipped for the space of, say, 
ten seconds. The calf is now turned over, the corresponding portion 
of the frontal bone on the other side clipped and thoroughly rubbed 
with the moistened potash the same way as the first. By this time 
the side first treated is dry and ready for a second application of the 
caustic, which should conform exactly to the first. Follow the same 
procedure on the remaining side, where the matrix of the embryo 
horn has been located, and, if the caustic has been properly applied, 
no horns will ever make their appearance. 

For animals intended to be kept either for steers or dairy cows, 
nothing can be more effectual, but it were well to discriminate between 
these and the head of the herd, the bull, and for this reason: We 
dehorn our cows and steers chiefly to protect them from each other, 
whereas our main object in dehorning the bull is to protect ourselves. 
For this reason our end in the case of the latter is more effectually 
accomplished if we leave him in possession of his horns until he has 
learned to rely upon them as his weapons of offense and defense and 
8867—04 19 



290 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

then deprive him of his armament. If we employ in his case chem- 
ical dehorning at the early age recommended for the steer and cow, 
necessity becomes a second nature, and tiie animal intuitively adopts 
the catapult-like tactics of the " mooll3\" These, although, compara- 
tively speaking, less harmful as between the animals themselves, are 
equally dangerous when directed against their owner; for captious 
indeed would be the critic who discriminated between being l)utted 
to death or hooked to death. 

Instances have been cited to prove that the effects of the deprivation 
of his horns are onl}^ temj^orary in the case of the animal that has once 
become dangerous or unruly, but a lengthened and varied experience 
convinces me that such is not the general fact. The moral effect oi 
throwing the animal and depriving it of its natural weapons is both 
great and lasting, and with x> roper treatment the advantages thus 
obtained need neither be lost nor lessened. The animal, shorn of its 
weapons, dreads the very approach of man, and its impulse is to go 
from him instead of for him. Animals have more retentive memories 
than they are generally credited with. 

In performing the operation the precaution of the greatest impor- 
tance is to see that the animal is secured so that it can not struggle 
enough to hurt itself. The animal may be thrown by any of the 
methods already indicated. The only additional accessories for the 
above purpose are a strong halter and a long rope, fastened around its 
girth before it is cast. The free end of this is then passed through 
the ring on the halter and the head jjuUed back against the ribs. A 
hitch underneath the tail should bring the rope forward to the halter, 
where it may be fastened, so as to be readily loosed when the first 
horn has been removed. To remove the second horn loose the head, 
turn the animal over, and refasten the head as before. 

The exponents of dehorning have attempted to envelop the opera- 
tion in a mist of a technical absurdities, and insist on the necessity 
of an apparatus as intricate as a self-binder and about as easy to 
move around as the average elevator. But the above method will 
answer all practical purposes. The only instrument needed is an 
ordinar}^ jointing saw, which should be used as quietly and quickly 
as possible. 

Animals may be dehorned any time except in fly time, or when the 
mercury is liable to droj) to the neighborhood of zero, and cold water 
is the only dressing needed. It is a good practice to deprive tlie ani- 
mal of food for twelve hours before operating. 

BLEEDING (bLOOD-LETTING). 

Although nowadays this operation has fortunately become less fre- 
quent than when it was generally considered the panacea for all ills, 
there are bej'ond doubt some cases in which the operation is admit- 
tedly the quickest and surest means of affording relief. 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 291 

In cattle the operation is usually performed on the left juj^ular vein, 
which is large and is easily rendered so prominent as to prevent the 
possibility of mistake by tying a cord around the neck below the 
place where the incision is to be made. (PI. XXVII, fig. 4.) The 
rope should be tied in a slip knot, so as to admit of its being easily 
undone, or a rope used with a loop at one end and a series of good- 
sized knots at the other, the- loop and knots to be used as buttons and 
button holes. The proj)er instrument to use is a large-bladed fleam, 
(PI. XXVII, fig. o.) After the animal is secured the operator stands 
by the shoulder, holds the fleam in his left hand, the blade just short 
of touching the skin and parallel to the direction of the vein, and the 
stick or mallet with which to strike it in his right; one quick, sharp 
blow should be sufficient. If the hair is long, it is a wise precaution 
to moisten and smooth it down. 

When sufficient blood has been withdrawn the rope is removed and 
the orifice closed by means of a pin inserted through the lips of the 
incision in the skin only, and a piece of fine string or tow wound either 
over or under it in the shape of a figure 8, or in a circle between the 
skin and the pin (PI. XXVIII, fig. 10), the point of which should be 
clipped ofi:. To prevent the animal from rubbing the part and tearing 
or dislodging the pin, it is advisable to tie the head up for a couple of 
days, providing the animal's health Avill admit of it, after which the 
pin may be removed and the wound left to heal in the usual manner. 

Before leaving the subject it may be well to add that as the good 
effects derived from bleeding depend more on the quickness with 
which the blood is drawn than on the quantity extracted, it is of 
importance that a liberal opening should be made into the blood vessel 
and the blood allowed to flow until a perceptible impression has been 
made on the pulse, 

SETONING. 

Setons are used in cattle for various purposes, of which perhaps the 
most common is as a preventive in anthrax or blackleg, when a seton 
is usually inserted in the dewlap. This is not done to afford exit to 
any poisonous discharge from the sj^stem, as is generally supposed, 
but to cause a sufficient amount of inflammation to increase the 
coa.ii:ulating proporties of the blood, which in these diseases becomes 
altered (as described elsewhere), notably losing its viscidity and in 
consequence oozing through the walls of the blood vessels. For this 
purpose the seton should be deeply inserted and should be dressed 
daily with turpentine or common blister. 

The ordinary use of a seton is for a different object, as, for instance, 
to keep up constant drainage from a cavity containing matter, or to 
act as a stimulant or counterirritant. To insert a seton, the place of 
entrance and e: it having been decided on, with the finger and thumb 
make a small fold of the skin transverse to the direction the seton is 



292 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

to be inserted, and cut it through, either with a sharp knife or a pair 
of scissors (tliis should be done at both the entrance and exit); then 
with a stead}^ pressure and sliglit lateral movement insert the seton 
by means of a seton needle. (PL XXYIII, figs. 1 and 2.) The seton 
should consist of a piece of strong tape, varying in breadth according 
to circumstances, and should be kept in place eitlier by a knot on 
each end or by tying the ends together. 

Setons should be gently moved once a day after suppuration is set 
up, and they should not be allowed to remain in over three weeks, or 
a month at the outside. 

TRACHEOTOMY. 

This op<M-ation consists of making an opening in the trachea, or 
windpipe. It is indicated whenever there is an obstruction from any 
cause in the upper part of the resj)irator3' tract which threatens the 
death of the animal by asphyxia (suffocation). The mode of pro^ 
cedure is as follows: Have an assistant extend the animal's head as 
far as possible to make the trachea tense and prominent; make a 
longitudinal incision about 2 to 2^ inches long through the skin and 
deeper tissues and trachea at the most prominent part of the trachea, 
which is about the middle or upper third, and then insert the tracheot- 
omy tube. (PI. XXVII, figs. 1 and 2.) The latter should be removed 
once or twice daily and cleansed, and the wound dressed antisep- 
ticall}'. To ascertain when it is time to discontinue the use of the 
tube and to allow the wound to close, the hand should be held over 
the opening, which will necessitate the animal to use its natural pas- 
sages in breathing. Observe if it is performed in a natural manner; 
and if so, remove the tube and alloAV the wound to close. This is the 
general mode of procedure W'here the surgeon has all the necessaiy 
instruments and a moderate amount of time at his disposal. Often 
it has to be performed in great haste without the proper instruments 
and under great disadvantages, the operator having to quicklj^ cut 
down and open the trachea and spread the parts, using some instru- 
ment improvised by him at the time. This operation only gives the 
animal relief in breathing, and therefore the proper remedial treat- 
ment sliould be adopted at the onset of the attack and continued 
until the cause (the disease) has been overcome. 

CHOKING. 

Choking, or the lodging of foreign bodies in the gullet, is divided 
into pharyngeal, cervical, and thoracic, according to location of the 
obstruction. The symjitoms in general are uneasiness on the part of 
the patient, involuntary movement of the jaws, grinding of the teeth, 
a profuse escape of saliva, and tympanites of the rumen. If the 
obstruction is in the i)liarynx, the mouth speculum should be intro- 
duced and the oiled hand and arm of the operator inserted and 



SURGICAL OPKRATIOT^S. 293 

an effort made to remove the obstruction. ]\rany cases of choking 
may be relieved by giving a few ounces of any bland oil at frequent 
intervals and pulling the gullet on the stretch by forcible extension of 
the neck. If this should be unsuccessful it will probably be necessary 
to have recourse to tlie probang (PI. Ill, fig. 2), which should be care- 
fully introduced and the obstruction slowly pushed downward toward 
the rumen, care being taken not to lacei^ate the coats of the esophagus. 
An operation known as esoijhagotoni}' may be performed in case the 
above efforts have failed. I will briefly describe the steps to be taken 
in such an emergency. 

ESOPHAGOTOMY. 

In case the obstruction is in the cervical portion of the esophagus, 
the best procedure is to cut through the skin and subcutaneous mus- 
cle of the neck onto, but not into, the esophagus. The foreign body 
may then be pushed upward until it can be reached and removed 
through the mouth. The incision should be long; indeed, it may be 
made the whole length of the neck if necessary, as it is practically 
but a subcutaneous wound and heals readily. 

PUNCTURING THE RUMEN. 

This is an operation that when indicated has to be performed at once 
or the animal may be lost. It is indicated in severe eases of acute 
tympanites in cattle, commonly known as hoven, which is due to the 
generation of gas resulting from fermentation. Recurrent attacks of 
hoven are usually due to tubercular infiltration of the mediastinal and 
bronchial glands. To relieve this distention an ordinary cattle trocar 
and canulA, (PI. Ill, figs. 5a and 5b) are inserted into the rumen, the 
most distended portion of the left side of the animal being the part 
selected. The trocar is withdrawn and the canula left in until the 
gas has fully escaped. 

Puncturing is not a serious operation in cattle, and in cases of great 
distention should be performed without hesitancy or delay. Relief is 
almost instantaneous in many cases. Of course, the proper remedial 
agents should be administered to a.. est further fermentation. (See 
"Tvmpanites,"p. 26.) 

RUMENOTOMY. 

The opening of the paunch, or rumen, in cattle and the removal of 
a part or the whole of the ingesta through said opening is termed 
rumenotomy. The operation should be performed in severe cases onlj^ 
where the rumen is excessively overloaded and distended. The ani- 
mal is placed with its right side against a wall and firmly held in posi- 
tion by strong assistants. The incision is made in the same place tl)at 
the trocar is inserted for puncturing that organ in cases of hoven. 
The opening is increased in size until the oi)eratoi''s hand can be 



294 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

inserted into the rumen. Before any of the contents are removed 
from that organ a linen cloth should be placed from the outer wound 
into the rumen in order to prevent any of the ingesta from getting 
into the abdominal cavity. After removing a portion of the contents 
of the rumen some practitioners introduce such medicine as may be 
indicated before closing the wound. Clean the wound and close the 
opening in the rumen with uninterrupted (PI. XXVIII, fig. 8) car- 
bolized catgut sutures. Next close the external wound, consisting of 
the integument, muscle, and peritoneum, with stout, interrupted (PL 
XXVIII, fig. G) metallic sutures. No food should be given for several 
hours after the operation, and then gruels only. (See "Distention of 
rumen with food," p. 29.) 

TREATMENT OP ABSCESSES. 

An abscess may be detected, if situated externally, by heat, pain, 
redness, and swelliuj| in the early stages, and, if further developed, 
by the fluctuation which Avili be present. When any of these sj'mp- 
toms are absent, the suppuration should be encouraged by the means 
of hot fomentations and poultices. Care must be taken that the 
abscess is not opened too soon, or it may to some extent cause it to 
scatter and the escape of pus will be lessened. The time to open 
an abscess is just before it is ready to break, and should be done with 
a sharp lance, a crucial incision sometimes being necessary. The 
cavity should be syringed out with an antiseptic solution. Care 
should be taken not to allow the wound to close too rapidly, and 
to prevent this a tent of lint or oakum should be introduced. 

WOUNDS. 

It is probabl}' not going too far to say that as a general rule wounds 
of the bovine species, unless sufficiently serious to endanger the ani- 
mal's life, are left uncared for. The poor suffering creatures are too 
often, even in fly time, left to endure untold torture from wounds not 
at first of much importance, but which, from the constant irritation 
caused by flies, dirt, etc., often develop into hideous, unhealthy 
sores, which can not fail, even when the}' do heal, to leave extensive 
and lasting blemishes as records of the osvner's thriftlessness and 
inhumanity. 

The comparatively low market value of all but the full-blood and 
pedigreed animal precludes an owner (save in a few exceptional cases, 
inspired b}^ a higher than ordinary sense of humanity) from entertain- 
ing professional assistance. It is more than doubtful whether the suf- 
fering creature does not go from bad to worse when its case is made 
over to the tender mercies of the ignorant local cowleech, to whom 
"wolf in the tail" is a terrifying living presence and "hollow horn " a 
solid fact, and whose sole claim to erudition in such matters consists 



SUEGICAL OPERATIONS. 295 

of conceited ability to nuiuufaetuveoii scientific prescriptions an arti- 
ficial substitute for the cud supposed to be "lost." 

There is j'et another class of owners who entertain a blind belief in 
liniments and jiatent nostrums, many of which are not only an unnec- 
essary expense, but may b}" their very action retard rather than expe- 
dite the process by which nature repairs the injured tissues, tendons, 
and bony structure. 

It should always be borne in mind that although some ajiplications 
are stimulating, and therefore serve as a useful ally in the process of 
restoration, it is, after all, to nature we must look to renovate the 
injured parts, and all that the most skillful can do is to aid her intel- 
ligently by combating those conditions which are calculated to inter- 
fere with her beneficent endeavors. All that the most suitable appli- 
cations can accomplish in the case of wounds is, in the first place, to 
prevent the access of those poisonous germs which exist in the sur- 
roundings of the animal, such as the soil and the manure, and, in the 
second place, when the process of repair is for some reason temporarily 
inactive or altogether arrested, to incite that curative inflammation 
which is the invariable method by which the cure is effected. 

Some owners may urge that it has always been their practice to use 
some shotgun jirescription that has earned for itself a reputation, 
because it was supposed to have routed a rash on the youngest baby, 
and proved equallj'^ efficacious on a wire cut on the last-dropped calf, 
without even pausing to think that either case might have done 
equally' well or even better if confided unanointed to the healing 
hands of Nature. 

For the purposes of the present work wounds may be divided into 
three classes: (1) Incised; (2) punctured; (3) lacerated or contused. 

Incised wound. — This is one with clean-cut edges, and may be 
either superficial or deep. In wounds of all descriptions there is 
necessarily more or less bleeding, and this is especiall}^ liable to be 
the case in incised wounds, i^articularly when they penetrate to a con- 
siderable depth, or when inflicted on a part where arteries of any size 
approach the surface. To arrest the hemorrhage must, therefore, be 
the first consideration. If slight, a generous use of cold water will be 
all that is necessary, but if one or more vessels of any size have been 
wounded or entirely severed, they should be taken up and ligated. 
If the blood flows continuously and is dark in color, it proceeds from 
a vein, but if bright-colored and jerk}^ in its flow, it is arterial. 

There is nothing very formidable or difficult in taking up an artery. 
It simply means tying up the bleeding vessel, which should be accom- 
plished as follows: To discover the bleeding artery take a sponge, dip 
it in cold water, and by gentle pressure on the wound clear it of the 
accumulated blood. The jet of fresh blood reveals the end of the 
vessel, which is readily recognized by its whitish j'cllow, or buff, color. 
It should be seized with a forceps or pincers and slightly drawn clear 



296 DISEASES OF CAITLE. 

of the siiiTOunding tissues. Now take the thread aud place the middle 
of it under the artery, fetch up the ends, tie one simple knot tightly, 
pressing down the thread Avith the forefinger so as not to include the 
forceps, then a second one over it, cut off the ends, and the thing is 
done. Tlie bleeding being arrested, the operator can now carefully 
clean and inspect the wound, taking care to remove all blood and for- 
eign matters and clip the hair around the edges before iiroceeding to 
stitch it up. If the wound is superficial, the lips may be brought 
together bya series of independent stitches (PI. XXVIII, fig. 6), about 
three-fourths of an inch to an inch apart. Tlie stitches should not be 
drawn tightly; it is sufiicient to bring the edges of the wound in 
apposition. 

If the wound is deep the needle should be introduced perpendicularly 
at as great a distance from the lij) of the wound as the depth it is to 
be inserted, so as to give the thread sufiicient hold. All the stitches 
should be as nearly as possible at equal distances from the border of 
the wound, to prevent unequal strain, and the knots should be made 
at the side, not over the wound. (PI. XXVIII, lig. G.) When the 
wound is large and deep, care should be taken to have an opening in 
the lowest part to allow for the escape of the discharges. 

In deep wounds which run crosswise of a limb or muscle it Avill often 
be advisable to use what is technically known as the "quilled suture," 
which is most readily described by Plate XXVII, fig. 7. To accom- 
plish this method a curved needle with an eye in the point and a 
strong double tliread should be used. The needle thus threaded is 
introduced perpendicularly at least an inch from the wound on one 
side, carried across below and brought out the same distance from 
the border of the cut on the opposite side, the thread being seized and 
held in position while the needle is withdrawn, leaving a loop of 
thread protruding on one side and two loose ends on the other side of 
eaclv stiteli. When a sufficient number of stitches have been made, 
take a liglit piece of wood about the size of a lead pencil, correspond- 
ing in length to the size of the wound or slightly longer, and insert it 
through each of the loops, drawing up the free ends of the threads, 
which sliould in turn be tied securelj^ on a similar piece of wood on 
tliat side. 

Punctured wounds. — Owing to the uncertainty of their depth and 
the structures they may involve, punctui-ed wounds are b}^ far the 
most dangerous and difficult to treat. Not only is the extent of the 
damage hidden from view, but the very character of the injury, as can 
be readily understood, implies at least the possibility of deep-seated 
inflammation and consequent discharge of pus (matter), which, when 
formed, is kept pent up until it has accumulated to such an extent 
that it burrows by simple gravity, as no other exit is possible. In 
this way foreign matters, such as a broken ijiece of the stake or snag, 
or whatever caused the wound, may be carried to an indefinite depth, 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 297 

or the cavity of a joint may be invaded and very serious, if not fatal, 
consequences supervene. 

The danger is especially marked when the injury is inflicted on 
parts liable to frequent and extensive motion, but all cases of punc- 
tured wounds should receive unusual care, as no judgment can be 
accurately formed from the external appearance of the wound. While 
a probe can ascertain the depth, it throws but little light on the 
extent or exact nature of the internal injury. For this reason all 
punctured wounds should invariably be carefully searched by means 
of a probe or some substitute devised for the occasion, such as 
a piece of wire with a smooth blunt end, or a piece of hard wood 
shaped for the purpose. Stitching is not admissible in the case of 
punctured wounds. 

If a punctured wound is not very deep, and when the bruising and 
laceration are slight, it is possible for healing to take place by adhe- 
sion, aud this should always be encouraged, as the process of repair 
by this method is far superior to that by granulation, which will be 
referred to later. With this object in view, the animal should be kept 
as quiet as possible. A dose of physic, such as a pound of Glauber's 
or Epsom salts, should be administered, and warm fomentations or 
poultices, when this is practicable, applied, the surface of the wound 
being dressed twice a day with the ordinary white lotion, which is 
made as follows: 

Acetate of lead _ ounce. _ 1 

Sulphate of zinc drams.- 6 

Water quart.. 1 

The lead and zinc should be put in a quart bottle with a pint of rain 
water and well shaken, when the balance of the Avater may be added. 

In wounds of this description the process of repair may be complicated 
by the appearance of exuberant granulations, popularlj^ known as 
"proud flesh" or "dead flesh," but really an overgrowth of new tis- 
sue — granulation tissue; but these should not be interfered with 
unless they should continue after the acute stage of inflammation has 
been subdued. If, after this, they persist, they may be treated with a 
solution of sulphate of copper (bluestone) or nitrate of silver (lunar 
caustic) and water. Irritation, caused by an overinterference with 
the process of repair, and injudicious bandaging are potent factors in 
bringing about this condition, and the discontinuance of either or both 
will often leave no necessity for special treatment. 

Contused or lacerated wounds. — These ai-e usually caused by 
a blow with some blunt instrument, by the breaking of the flooring, or 
when an animal gets one of its limbs through or over the partition 
between the stalls. The seriousness depends largely on the depth of 
the injury, and treatment should be directed to allaying the inflamma- 
tion and preventing the consequent tendency to sloughing. To this 



298 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

end soolliiug ai)i)licatious, such as fouieutations and poultices, are 
l)laiiily indicated. 

Methods of healing. — Technical!}^ these may be divided into a 
number of distinct processes, but practically we may speak of them as 
two only, namely, by primary union, or adhesion, and bj" granulation. 
As supi)uration is not so liable to occur in cattle as in the horse, healing 
by tlie former and more speedy process is much more common in the 
first-named species, more particularly in clean-cut or incised wounds, 
"provided tliej' have been stitched within twelve hours from the time 
the injury which caused them was inflicted; that they have been kept 
clean and that the patient has by some means been kept fairly still. 
This latter stipulation is probably hardest to comply with. Quiet is 
an important factor in the process of repair among the lower animals 
as well as their masters, and the rule is none the less good because, 
unfortunately, it is more frequently honored in the breach than in the 
observance. Healing by this method is in some cases extraordinarily 
quick, union between the divided parts having been known to take 
place as soon as twentj^-four hours after their adjustment by the 
surgeon. 

The second method of healing, namely, by granulation, which is, 
however, the manner in which most wounds in animals heal, takes much 
longer time. In punctured wounds of any dejjth healing necessarilj- 
takes place in this way only, and the treatment should be directed 
largely to alleviating pain and moderating inflammation. The former 
can be accomplished by opium applied locally in the form of the diluted 
tincture, or given internally in repeated small doses; and the latter by 
aconite or fluid extract of gelsemium, 25 to 30 drops of either of which 
are given in the drinking water or dropped on the tongue at intervals, 
depending on the severity of the fever. 

After-treatment and dressing of wounds. — The dressing of 
wounds, wliether they have been attended to by a veterinarian or not, 
is a matter which, in case of cattle, invariably devolves upon the 
owner or his employees. It must not, however, be inferred from this 
that the matter is of secondary importance. The dressing of wounds 
is one of the most important branches of veterinarj'^ surgery, and one 
of the most constant difficulties that the practicing veterinarian has to 
contend with lies in the want of appreciation on the part of owners of 
the great importance of care and attention in the after treatment 
of wounds. It is for this reason that the writers are averse to closing 
this portion of their task witliout pointedly calling attention to the 
fact that it is very largely to skillful, j)atient, and careful dressing 
that satisfactory recovery from most serious accidents is due, and this 
unswerving vigilance and solicitude we would bespeak not only for 
the ijijured parts, but for the general care of the animal and its 
BurroundingiS. 

The iiist and foremost consideration in the dressing of a wound is 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 299 

the observance of scrupulous cleauliness. The most subtle medica- 
ments and antiseptics are worse than wasted if dirt claims a 50 per 
cent interest in the business, as is too often the case upon the farm 
Avhere the care of an animal is relegated to ignorant and thought- 
less hired help. Unless an animal is in slings, straw and other foreign 
bodies as well as blood and necessary discharges usually adhere to a 
wound when it comes to be dressed. These should be carefully freed 
from tlie wound by means of a sponge dii)ped in a 2 per cent solution 
of carbolic acid. The sponge should not be brought into actual con- 
tact, but should be wrung out just above it, the water being allowed 
to trickle over tlie injured part. When the wound and the parts 
surrounding it have been thoroughly cleansed it may be dressed either 
with the "white lotion," the formula for which has already been 
given, or with a solution of chloride of zinc, 1 ounce to a quart of 
purf cold water. In cold weather the parts may be dressed with the 
following: Oxide of zinc ointment, 4 ounces; compound tincture of 
benzoin, 2 drams; mix and keep the box covered. 

A single fold of ordinary cotton batting gently pressed over the 
ointment will cause it to remain adherent to the wounded part. In 
superficial excoriated wounds in cattle a very excellent first dressing 
(after thoroughly cleansing the wound) consists of iodoform (a com- 
pound of iodine and chloroform) blown on to the wound through a 
quill or a folded piece of stiff paper. This should be followed by a 
second dressing of pulverized aloes applied in the same way, which 
not only forms an artificial scab, but possesses the additional 
advantage of keeping off flies. 

There are several other applications which are efficacious, such as 
bichloride of mercury, 1 part to 800 of water; boracic acid, 1 part to 
20 parts of water; carbolic acid, 1 .part to water 30 parts; but the fore- 
going will be found as good as any. 

No good purpose can be served by applying to healthy wounds irri- 
tating mixtures of oils and acids, and an owner may safel}^ make up 
his mind to the fact that whatever mixture he may use, no matter how 
successful it may have been, he is pretty sure to have a neighbor who 
will want to know the reason why he did not use something else. 
Whatever antiseptic is used, alwaj^s recollect that cleanliness, rest, 
and attention constitute 50 per cent of the contest, and that the other 
half may safel}' be left to the restoring touch of Nature. 

Barbed-wire cuts. — We have specified these simply because there 
exists in some sections of the countrj- a fixed idea that there is a 
specific poison in barbed wire, causing injuries which require treat- 
ment differing from that which is applicable to ordinary wounds. 
Barbed-wire cuts differ from ordinary wounds only in the parts being 
often lacerated and torn, and the treatment already indicated for 
wounds of that description is applicable to them. 



300 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

CASTRATION. 

Castration consists of the removal of the essential organs of genera- 
tion. It is performed npon both the male and the female. In the 
male the organs removed are the testicles and in the female the ovaries. 

Castration in the male is performed for several different pnrposes. 
It may be necessary-, as is the case in certain diseased conditions of 
the testicles and in strangulated hernia, but the usual object of the 
operation is to enhance the general value of the animal. For exami)le, 
if the animal is intended for burden, the operation will better fit him 
for his work by so modifying his temperament and physical condition 
that he may easily be controlled bj^ liis master. Again, if he is merelj^ 
to be used for beef purposes, the operation will improve the quality of 
the flesh. 

The operation upon the female may be performed on account of 
diseased conditions, but we may say that the chief object of the 
operation is to make the animal one of more profit to its owner by 
altering the lacteal secretion and also the physical condition. Advo- 
cates of this operation claim that a spayed cow will milk under favor- 
able conditions for a number of years continuously', and that the milk 
is greatly increased in richness. C^aref ul tests, however, indicate that 
the value of this operation with dairy cows has been exaggerated. 
When the cow is spayed it does away with all trouble attending 
estrum, or heat, gestation, and jiarturition with its accidents and ail- 
ments. The flesh of the spayed cow is more tender and juic}- than 
that of the entire animal. 

The operation upon the male may be either the uncovered or the cov- 
ered. In the former the incision is made down to the testicle proper, 
and in the latter you cut through the scrotum or the outside covering 
and through the dartos, or the next coat, being careful to ciit no deeper 
tissues or coats. The age at which the operation is performed varies, 
but usually it is performed between the second and third month. If 
done in early life there is less danger of complications, the organs not 
being fully developed and in a latent condition. There are many 
different methods of operating, the principal ones of which we shall 
mention. In the uncovered operation a good free incision should be 
made, exposing the testicle completely. Now it maj' be removed bj^ 
simply cutting it off. The only danger of doing this is that hemor- 
rhage is likely to follow. To obviate this, before the division of 
the spermatic coi-d it should be twisted several times in the follow- 
ing manner: "^I'ako hold of the spermatic cord with the left hand, hav- 
ing the cord between the thumb and the index finger. Now twist the 
free portion several times with the right hand, all the time being care- 
ful to push with the left hand toward the body of the animal. In this 
way tlie danger of injur}' to the cord during the animal's struggles 
will be overcome The hemorrhage Avill be none, or very little, if it 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 301 

has been done properly. This is the most simple manner of torsion. 
There are forceps and other instruments made to perform the opera- 
tion in this manner. Instead of practicing- torsion in any of its ways 
to prevent hemorrhage, we may ripply a ligature either directly to the 
spermatic artery from which the hemorrhage comes, or to the entire 
cord. You may use either a silk or a catgut ligature. The actual 
cautery is an old method, hut we shall not describe it, as we consider 
that we have better methods now. The next method with the clamps, 
although extensively used upon the horse, is not practiced to any 
great extent upon the bovine at the present time. It is a very old 
method, and is considered very safe. Clamps are used in the covered 
and uncovered operations. 

But more simple and better methods are now known for the castra- 
tion of the bull. A more modern method is bj^ the ecraseur. The chain 
of the instrument is placed around the spermatic cord and tightened 
so as to crush the tissues and thus prevent hemorrhage. The clamj) 
and ligature are the methods principally employed in the covered 
operation, and in order thoroughly to understand this procedure it 
will be necessary for the reader to have at least a crude anatomical 
knowledge of the parts. The former, or the uncovered, is the usual 
mode of operating, except in certain abnormal conditions. 

The operation of "mulling," or crushing, the spermatic cord is an 
unscientific and barbarous procedure, causing unnecessary pain and 
suffering. 

The above methods appl}' only to the animal in a normal condition. 
Before operating always examine and be sure that everything is as it 
sliould be. If otherwise, a special operative procedure will be neces- 
sary. Whichever mode of operation be adopted from a practical stand- 
jjoint, the principal precautions to be taken in order to attain success 
are as follows: First, thorough cleanliness under strict aseptic and 
antiseptic precautions; second, a free and boldly made incision; third, 
the avoidance of undue pulling or tension upon the spermatic cord ; 
fourth, free drainage, which can be maintained, provided the original 
incision has been properly made. 

CASTRATION OF THE FEMALE. 

Ovariotomy (spaying). — The operation should be performed when 
the cow is in her prime and giving her greatest flow of milk, care being 
taken that she is in good health and moderate condition, 7iot too ple- 
thoric; or, on the other hand, she must not be at all anemic, and also 
that she be not in heat or pregnant. This operation may be performed 
in one of two ways — namely, by the flank or b}' the vagina — each oi^era- 
tion having its special advantages. In the flank operation the animal 
may be operated upon either while standing or while in the recumbent 
position. If standing, she should be placed against a wall or a parti- 



302 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tiou, aud her head held by a strong assistant. The legs also must be 
secured to prevent the animal from kicking. A vertical incision should 
be made in the left flank, about the middle of the upper portion, care 
being taken not to make the opening too far down, in order to avoid 
the division of the circumflex artery which traverses that region. The 
operator should now make an opening through the peritoneum, which 
is best done with the fingers. Next introduce the hand and arm into 
the abdominal cavity and direct the hand backward toward the pel- 
vis, searching for the horns of the uterus. Follow them up and the 
ovaries will easily be found. They should then be drawn outward, 
and may be removed either by the ecraseur or by torsion. Clos- 
ing and suturing the wound Avill complete the operation. An adhesive 
plaster bandage can be beneficially applied. 

The oijeration by the vagina is more complicated and requires spe- 
cial and expensive instruments. The mode of procedure in brief is as 
follows: A speculum is introduced into the vagina and an incision is 
made into the superior wall of that passage about 2 inches from the 
neck of the uterus, cutting from below upward and from before back- 
ward. Make an incision which should not exceed 3^ inches in length. 
The next step is to get possession of the ovaries. They are situated 
in a fold of the broad ligament and should be drawn carefully into 
the vagina through the incision. Now take the long-handled scissors 
specially made for this purpose, with which the thick border of the 
broad ligament is divided. The torsion forceps are introduced and 
applied to the broad ligament above the ovary. The left hand is then 
introduced and the thumb and the index finger grasp hold of the 
broad ligament above the forceps. Now commence with your right 
hand to apply torsion and thus remove the ovary. The other ovary 
may be removed in the same manner. 

The operation of castration is by no means a serious one, and when 
properly performed there is little danger from complications. Although 
the danger is trifling, the complications which may arise are sometimes 
of a serious nature. Hemorrhage, either primary or secondary, teta- 
nus, or lockjaw, abscesses, heruia, or rupture, gangrene, and peritonitis 
are the most serious complications that follow castration. Whichever 
complication arises will require its own special treatment, which we 
will not go into here, as it will be fully dealt with under another head- 
ing. We would add, however, that, generally speaking, the animal, 
after being castrated, should either be regularly exercised or be allowed 
freedom so that it can exercise itself. Drafts of cold air or sudden 
changes of the temperature are dangerous. The animal should be fed 
moderately, but of a diet easily digestible. 

Other surgical operations, not described in this chapter, may be 
found in other parts of this work by reference to the index. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXVI. 



,, ....K^ 







;y v,-..-^s^ 




Devices for Casting Cattle. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXVII. 





,..^'" 



Tracheotomy and Venesection. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXVIII. 




Jialrutl' tt^l^ty.^i^m^lH4y i»fu^ t.Xemcna 



Surgical Instruments and Sutures. 



( 



I 



SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 

DESCRIPTION OF PI.ATES. 

Plate XXVI: 

Fig. 1 . Reuff 's method of throwing, or casting, the ox. From Fleming's Oper- 
ative Veterinary Surgery. 

Fig. 2. Miles' method of throwing, or casting, the ox. From Fleming's Oper- 
ative Veterinary Surgery. 
Plate XXVII: 

Fig. 1 a front and fig. 1 b side view of a simple tracheotomy tube. After 
Armatage, from Hill's Bovine Medicine and Surgery. This tube is inserted 
in the trachea, or windpipe, in cases of threatened suffocation from obstruc- 
tions in the upper portion of the air passage. 

Fig. 3 shows the tracheotomy tube applied and held in po.sition by straps 
around the neck. After Armatage, from Hill's Bovine Medicine and 
Surgery. 

Fig. 3 represents an ordinary fleam with blades of different sizes. 

Fig. 4. Cow prepared for bleeding. A cord is tied firmly about the lower 
portion of the neck, causing the jugular vein t^ become distended with 
blood and swell out. 
Plate XXVIII: 

Figs. 1 and 2. Seton needles. These may be either long or short, straight or 
curved, according to the locality in which a seton is to be inserted. 

Fig. o. Various forms of surgical needles. 

Fig. 4. Suture forceps or needle holder, for passing needles through thick and 
dense tissues. 

Fig. 0. Knot properly tied. . 

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Various forms of sutures. Fig. G, interrupted suture; 7, 
quilled sutui*e: 8, uninterrupted suture; 9, twisted suture, made by passing 
sutu"e pins thi'ough the parts to be held together and winding the thread 
about them so as t ) represent the figure 8; 10, single-pin suture. 

Fig. 11. Appliance for ringing the bull, one-fourth natural size. 

Fig. 12. Nose clamp, with spring and keeper. 

303 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 

By John R. Mohler. A. M.. V. M. D., 
Chief of Pdthologiodl Dii'isiinv. Bureau of Animal Jnduxtrji. 

[Synovyms: New f?rowth. neoplasm, neoformation, pseudoplasm, swelling, and 
hyperplasia. ] 

Definition. — Tuiuors" are jihuonnal masses of tissue, iioninflaiiiiiui- 
tory and independent in character, arising, without obvious cause, 
from cells of preexistent tissue, possessing no physiologic function, 
aad characteristically unrestrained in growth and structure. 

Tumors are abnormal masses of tissue. The application of the 
term "tumor" is directl}' connected with the fact that t.iey produce 
local enlargement. 

They are noninflammatory; that is, the process of inflammation is 
not directly the cause or accompaniment of them. An inflammatory 
new growth tends to disappear uiDon the subsidence of the inflamma- 
tory process, while spontaneous disappearance of a tumor is compar- 
atively rare. 

Tumors are independent. For instance, their nutrition bears no 
relation to the nutrition of the body. A lipoma, or fatty tumor, in 
the subcutaneous tissue may go on increasing to huge bulk while the 
body is steadily emaciating. Again, the tissues of the aged gradually 
undergo atrophy, j'et cancers arise at this time and grow rapidly. 

Tumors are unrestrained in growth and structure. In the develop- 
ment of an animal we know at what period of its existence the mass 
of tissue called liver will develop — wliat its site, structure, and size 
will be. We know that it will remain only in that locality, and not, 
as it were, colonize throughout the system. With tumors it is differ- 
ent; there are no laws by Avhich we can forecast the time, place, 
nature, or size of development of them. There is no cartilage in the 
kidne}' or parotid gland, yet a chondronui, or cartilage tumor, may 
develop in either. Even when a new growth of tissue is started by 



« The term " tumor "" literally means a swelling, and thtis has been applied to 
the prominence caused hy an overdistended bladder, to the enlargement of preg- 
nancy, to the swelling X)rodiT(ed by an abs -ess. to the overgrowth of tissue (hyper- 
plasia) associated with injury and consequent inflammation, and to numerous 
other phases of tissue enlargement directly connected with recognized disease 
processes. For this reason it is becoming more common for scientists to apply 
the word " neoplasm " to the new growths described in this chapter. Because of 
the still popular use of the word '• tumor." it is retained in this chapter for the 
designation of those new growtlis to which the sevenfold characterization of our 
descriptive definition applies. 
304 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 305 

an injury and consequent inflammation — as, for instance, proud flesh — 
there is a limitation of its size. But the controllinaj influences which 
govern the size of an organ or normal mass of tissue and limit the 
extent of an inflammatory overgrowth are all absent in the case of 
tumors. They are unrestrained, lawless. 

Metastasis expresses the lawlessness of tumors as regards being 
limited to the original site of development. Small particles of tumors 
enter the blood vessels or lymph streams and are carried to distant 
parts of the body, where they lodge and start new tumor formations. 
Expansion by colonization in this manner is a rule with many tumors; 
and, since they exercise no function of use to the organism, this dis- 
semination of actively growing particles becomes a menace to the 
system by numerically increasing the body's burden, opening new 
channels of drain upon the system, and adding new centers for the 
absorption of putrefactive materials when the secondary tumors shall 
have degenerated. It is this which makes metastasis such an impor- 
tant element in the malignancy of tumors. 

Tumors possess no physiological function. They are absolutely 
useless. Fibrous tumors bind no parts of the organism together; bony 
tumors add nothing to the supporting framework of the body; the 
tissue of fatty tumors never serves as a storehouse of food and energy; 
the cells of an adenoma, or gland tumor, furnish no secretion; a 
tumor composed of muscle tissue secures no increase to the strength 
of the individual — its muscle cells are not contractile. 

Tumors arise from cells of preexistent tissue. Tumor tissue is not 
a new variety of tissue. Whatever the structure of a tumor, its 
counterpart is found among the tissues of the body, the lawlessness 
of the tumor, however, showing itself in more or less departure from 
the normal type. This departure is usually a reversion to a more 
elementary or embryonic stage, so that the tumor tissues may be said 
to be structurally immature. 

Tumors arise without obvious cause. Concerning the ultimate 
cause of tumor formation we are absolutely ignorant. Various 
theories have been advanced from time to time, but none of them 
have been applicable to more than a limited number of cases. The 
most important theories may be briefly mentioned. 

(1) The theory of tumor diathesis. — Bilroth taught that tumors are 
due to a peculiar predisposition consisting of a diseased state of the 
fluids of the body. This constitutional taint might be acquired, but, 
having been acquired, is also hereditary. This theory is known also as 
the heredity hypothesis ; but, while it is true that heredity appears to 
play some role in the causation of certain neoplasms, its application 
is too limited to make it of value. 

(2) The mechanical or irritarit theory. — Virchow assumed that 
tumors arise as the result of previous irritation of the part. This has 

8867—04 20 



30(5 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

been noticed particularly in the case of certain cancers. They fre- 
quently develop on the edges of old ulcers, thus being dependent 
apparently on chronic irritation. Cancer of the lip in pipe smokers 
is a case in point. Cancerous tumors of the skin often develop on 
the arms of workers in pai-affin, tar, and soot, the chemical irritation 
of these substances being the cause. On the contrary, the proportion 
of those thus affected among the exposed is very small and forces the 
conclusion that if the real cause were in the irritation vastly more 
cases would occur. 

(;3) The theory of nervous Influence. — This is based upon («) the 
observed fact that tumors occur more frequently in man and the 
higher animals than in those lower in the scale, among which the 
nervous sj'stem is less highly developed; {b) that certain formations 
seem to be directly connected with nerve distribution, while others 
have been associated with alternations in neighboring nerve trunks. 

(4) The embryonal theory. — This is known also as Cohnheim's 
hypothesis. In earlj^ fetal life there occurs a production of cells in 
excess of what is required for the construction of the various parts of 
the body, so that a certain number of them are left over in the fully 
developed tissue or become misplaced during the sorting of cells for 
future development of tissues and organs. These cells lie dormant 
until favorable conditions arise or some sufficient stimulus is applied, 
when, released from their inactivitj^ they begin to reproduce and 
grow. Not being normally related to their site, they lack the control- 
ling and limiting influences of the part, and, their embrj^onic character 
induing them with a most potent j^rolif crating power, they develop 
in a lawless and unrestrained manner. There are tumors whose exist- 
ence can be explained only on these grounds. Still, this theory falls 
far short of answering the question as to the origin of tumors. 

(5) The parasitic theory. — This is not only one of the latest, but, 
merely as a hypothesis, it is the most attractive and plausible of all. 
The serious objections to it, however, are the almost uniform failure 
that has met the attempts to transplant these tumors from one animal to 
another and the absence of any constant variety of organism in them. 
Several- forms of parasites have been found in certain tumors, but 
notliing definite has been shown with reference to the relation they 
bear to the causation of the neoplasm. 

CLASSIFICATION. 

In Senn's work on tumors occurs the following: "A uniform system 
of classification of tumors is one of the great wants of modern pathol- 
ogy, and all attempts in this direction have proved failures. " It would 
be folly, therefore, to burden the pages of a work of this kind with 
one or several of the proposed systems which have, admittedly, at 
some important point, failed of their purpose. Since the value of 
this chapter depends chiefly upon its practical character, which in 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 307 

turn is measured by its aid in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, 
the old but important clinical division is here adopted. 

Tumors are either malignant or benign. The essential difference 
between the two classes is tliat while benign tumors depend for 

THEIR ILL EFFECTS ENTIRELY UPON THEIR SITUATION, MALIGNANT 
NEOPLASMS WHEREVER LOCATED INEVITABLY DESTROY LIFE. T>e 

clinical features of each group ai-e in many cases sufficiently n:arked 
to distinguish them. 

MALIGNANT TUMORS. 

(1) These are invariably pernicious and from the beginning tend 
to destroy life. 

(2) The cellular element predominates, therefore they grow rapidly. 

(3) Possessing no capsule, they infiltrate surrounding tissues. 

(4) They infect adjacent lymph glands. 

(5) They recur even after complete removal. 

(6) They give metastasis; that is, they become disseminated in 
different organs. 

(7) Their presence develops a progressive emaciation. 

BENIGN TUMORS. 

(1) These in and of themselves do not tend to produce death. 

(2) As the cellular element is not apt to predominate, they grow 
slowly. 

(3) They are encapsulated, and when diffuse do not infiltrate sur- 
rounding tissues. 

(-t) They do not infect adjacent lymph glands. 

(5) They do not recur after complete removal. 

(6) They do not manifest metastasis. 

Benign tumors, though harmless, may, by the accident of their 
location, indirectly produce death. Mere pressure on the brain sub- 
stance of an otherwise innocent tumor, compression of tlie blood sup- 
ply for vital organs, growth in such manner as to cause obstruction 
in the alimentary tract or pressure upon nerves, may cause death, or, 
prior to death, so combine the effects of anemia (deficiency of blood), 
starvation, and pain, with its consequent restlessness, as to produce a 
veritable cachexia. 

On the other hand, a malignant tumor in its primary growth may 
so implicate a vital organ as to destroy life before metastasis can 
occur or even before cachexia can develop. Thus, to the untrained 
observer, environment may so operate as to cause these two classes 
of new growths to simulate each other. The boundary lines may 
seem to overlap. It is here that the microscope, as the court of last 
appeal, adjudicates positively in the diagnosis between these two 
clearly marked divisions. 

It may almost be asserted that a true classification of tumors can 



808 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

not be made until we know niore about the cause of them, llie 
arrangement liere presented is offered to meet the practical needs of 
the veterinarian, student, and farmer rather than tlie pathologist. 

We may roughlj^ divide the tissues of the body into structural and 
lining tissues. The structural tissues are composed of the tissues of 
special function and simple connective tissues. The lining or cover- 
ing tissues, both internal and external, are known as epithelium. 

Section A of the table below contains the true tumors or proper 
neoplasms. 

Section B includes the cysts, some of which are true tumors, while 
others are false tumors, but the latter are added because of their gross 
resemblance to the true tumors and the consequent necessity of con- 
sidering them at the same time. 

TUMORS AND CYSTS. 

A. Tumors. 
Benign: 

I. — Tumors composed of tissues resembling those of special function. 

1. Type of muscle tissue Myoma. 

2. Type of nerve tissue Neuroma. 

3. Type of vascular tissue Angioma. 

4. Type of gland tissue Adenoma. 

II. — Tutnors composed of fully dev^eloped connective tisane. 

1. Type of fibrous tissue Fibroma. 

2. Type of adipose, or fat, tissue Lipoma. 

3. Type of cartilage tissue Chondroma. 

4. Type of osseous, or bone, tissue Osteoma. 

5. Type of neuroglia, or nerve, sheath Glioma. 

6. Type of mucoid, or mucous, tissue Myxoma. 

Malignant: 

III. — Tumors composed of embryonic or immature connective tissues. 

1 . Type of immature connective tissue Sarcoma. 

2. Type of endothelial tissue Endothelioma. 

IV. — Tumors in which epithelial elements predominate. 

1 . T>'pe of various epithelial cells and associated tissues Carcinoma. 

B. Cysts. 
I. — Cysts which develop in preexistinr] cavities. 

1 Retention cysts. 

2 .. Proliferation cysts. 

II. — Cysts which are of congenital origin and are true tumors. 
1 .-. Dermoid cysts. 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 809 

III. — Cysts irhich originate indepenrletitlij as thevpsiijt of pathological changes and 

are nontuniorons. 

1 . Cysts formed by tlie softening and disintegration of lesions Softening cysts. 

2. Cysts formed around parasites Parasitic cysts. 

3. Cysts formed by an outpouring of blood and lymph into the tissue spaces with 

subsequent encapsulation of the fluid Extravasation cysts. 

Terminology. — The principle of naming tumors is (piite simple. 
The Greek word "oma" (plural "omata") means tumor. This word 
" oma" is added to the stem of the word ordinarily used to designate 
the kind of tissue of which the tumor is composed. Thus a tumor 
formed after the type of librous tissue is a fibroma. The only excep- 
tion to this is in the naming of the two large classes of malignant neo- 
plasms. There the names were formed from the flesh-like appearance 
of tlie one and the crab-like proliferations of the other — namely, Sar- 
coma (sarks=flesh), carcinoma (karkinos=crab). 

Diagnosis. — In the diagnosis of tumors note is taken of (1) clinical 
liistorj^ and (2) examination of the tumor. 

(1) Clinical history. — Circumstances connected Avith the origin of 
the tumor and its rapidity of growth may point to an inflammatorj^ 
swelling rather than a tumor. The location of the tumor at its com- 
mencement is important, as, for instance, in diagnosing between 
liiwma and cai'cinoma, the former being more or less movable under 
the skin, while a carcinoma develops in the skin. While tenderness 
on pressure may be caused by compression of a sensitive nerve by a 
tumor or by tumors of the nerve or nerve sheaths, as a rule this 
sjniptom is indicative of inflammatorj^ swelling rather than the exist- 
ence of a tumor. 

(2) Direct examinaiion of the tumor. — In the application of this 
diagtiosis the ti-ained observer will note color, size, shape, and surface 
structure, transmission of light, movableness, consistence, resistance, 
pulsation, and crepitation. Pei'cussion, auscultation, and exploration 
are also available methods. Finally, miscroscopic examination of the 
growing portions of the tumor \)\ a pathologist will be found most 
satisfactory. 

GENERAL TREATMENT OF TUMORS. 

For benign tumors treatment is required only when it damages the 
animaVs value or when merely for sake of appearance. When it is 
possible, the removal of the tumor by an operation is indicated. If 
the tumor has a small constricted base, remove h\ tortion, ligation, or 
with an ecraseur. Ligation following tlie incision of the skin with a 
knife avoids the pain of pressing on tlie sensitive nerves of the skin 
and is suitable for tumors of broad base and small bodies. A firing 
iron, such as is used in line or feather firing, may also be used in 
removing tumors with small attachments. This not only stops the 
bleeding, but forms a firm scab under which healing may occur rapidly. 



310 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Those tumors that can not be removed hy the above methods may be 
treated with caustics or acids, such as sulphuric acid, hydrochloric 
acid, caustic potash, arsenic, silver nitrate, or chromic acid, but it is 
difficult to limit the action of these drugs. The injection into the 
tumor of certain chemicals, such as analine dyes, alcohol, acetic acid, 
citric acid, or ergotine is of doubtful value, as is also the injecti-on of 
the germs of erysipelas— thought by some to be a specific. Certain 
specific tumors, such as actinoraj^cosis and botryomycosis, maj' be 
successfully treated by the internal administration of potassium 
iodide, together with the injection into the tumor or the j)ainting of 
its surface with Lugol's solution or the tincture of iodine. The most 
reliable means of treating tumors is by extirpation with cutting instru- 
ments. Dissect the tumor from tlie surrounding tissue, ligating all 
the larger blood vessels, and tearing the tissues with the fingers rather 
than cutting with a knife. The bleeding ma}^ be stopped with a hot 
iron. The after-treatment is the same as for any ordinary wound of 
similar size. 

DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL TUMORS. 

Although a full list of the tumors that may be found in bovines has 
been given above, there are a number that warrant a detailed descrip- 
tion, and the following Tuention will be made of the most important 
of them : 

MYOMA. 

These tumors are after the tyj)e of muscle. They are sharjjly cir- 
cumscribed, and, as a rule, are ver}^ hard, a condition due usually to 
combination witli fibroma, and are then known as fibromyoma. In 
fact, the clinical differentiation between myoma and fibroma is almost 
impossible. Mj'omas are found in the uterus, vagina, stomach, intes- 
tines, gullet, and bladder of cattle. They grow very large, but, as a 
rule, are benign. Treatment should consist of their removal. 

NEUROFIBROMA. 

A true neuroma built up of nerve fibers and nerve cells is infre- 
quent, if it ever occurs, in cattle. False neuromas, or neurofibromas, 
are knotty spreading tumors of the size of a large potato, which are 
developed within the nerve sheaths and composed of nerve fibers and 
connective tissue bands interlaced. The commingling of these varied 
fibers is often so intricate that separation is practically impossible. 
Til is tumor is most frequently found upon the shoulder of cattle. 
Treatment is sury:ical. 



The angiomas are tumors composed mainly of blood vessels or blood 
spaces, and are observed on the skin of man, where they are called 
"birthmarks" or " mother marks." Cavernous angiomas are seen in 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 811 

cattle, affecting the liver and tlie mucous membrane of the nasal sep- 
tum. In the liver they appear as smooth, flat, nonprojecting tumors 
of a dark-red or purple color and of about the size of a silver 10-cent 
piece. The}^ are somewhat softer in consistency than the adjoining 
liver substance, into Avliich they are gradually fused. These tumors 
are frequently observed b)^ meat inspectors in livers of slaughtered 
cattle. Treatment of angioma is unnecessary. 

ADENOMA. 

The structure of this tumor is after the type of gland tissue. It is 
rarely seen in cattle except in combination with cancer or sarcoma. 
A growth which occurs more frequentlj' in bovines, especially calves, 
and which in some instances bears a striking resemblance to an ade- 
noma, is the so-called goiter. 

GOITER (struma). 

This is a noninflammatory enlargement or a hyperplasia of the thy- 
roid gland. While it can not be definitely classed among tumors, 
yet, owing to its resemblance to the latter, it will be discussed at this 
time. The cause of goiter has never been definitely ascertained. 
Among the most probable causes may be mentioned heredity, insuffi- 
cient and improper diet, close confinement, unhygienic surroundings, 
and an unknown toxic substance which is supposed to obtain in those 
localities rich in magnesium and lime salts. Certain organisms found 
in goiter have been suspected of jiroducing this trouble, but their 
relation to the disease has not been satisfactorily^ proved. A goiter 
may consist of (1) simple enlargement of the follicles which are filled 
with albuminous matter (follicular goiter) ; (2) an increase of con- 
nective tissues between the follicles, causing the swelling to be dense 
and resistant (fibrous goiter); (3) a great increase in size of one or 
more follicles, forming a cj^st (cystic goiter) ; (4) great dilatation of 
the blood vessels in the gland accompanied by pulsation with each 
heart beat (vascular goiter). 

Symptoms. — Goiter may be observed at the side of the throat, 
reaching the size of a fist or even larger, or it may hang down below 
the windpij)e. In cattle the two thyroid glands are close together, and 
when the disease affects both there may be but one uniform swelling 
placed in front of the windpipe below the angle of the jaw. This 
swelling may be hard, soft, or doughy in consistence, and it may pul- 
sate like an artery with each beat of the heart. It ma}' cause labored 
breathing by pressure on the windpipe, and death may result from 
pressure on this structure, on tlie gullet, or on the adjoining large 
vessels. 

Treatineiit. — In young animals the treatment is usually satisfactory, 
and consists in giving the animal a complete change of food and 
plenty of exercise in the open air. If the condition appears enzootic 



312 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

in the district, remove the animal to another location when possible. 
Iodine shonld be applied to the swelling, either in tlie form of oint- 
ment or the tincture. Injections of iodine solution, 5 grains of iodine 
in 1 dram of 25 per cent alcohol, may also be made into the substance 
of the gland. AVhen the swelling which follows this injection has 
subsided ft maj" be repeated. Potassium iodide should be given 
internally in 14-dram doses twice daily for a cow, or in 20-grain doses 
twice a day for a calf. Extirpation of all but a small section of the 
swelling may be accomplished by a qualified veterinarian with good 
results; but if it should be entirely removed, myxedema and death 
follow. 

FIBROMA. 

Fibromas are tumors made up chiefly of connective tissue and are 
usually confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Indurative 
fibromas of the skin appear as tumors of gelatinous connective tissue 
or as firm white vascular connective tissue growths, which are more or 
less sharply outlined, move readily over the underlying tissues in 
company with the skin, and owe their origin to mechanical injuries, 
perforating wounds, repeated abrasions, or the invasion of pus cocci 
or botryomyces into the tissues. 

These tumors in cattle are frequently found upon the dewlap as 
solid lumps, hard as stone to the touch, lying loosely between the 
layers of skin, and gradually losing themselves in the softer tissues of 
the neck above, or as smooth, hard tumors of glistening white sub- 
stance with interlacing lines of softer tissue. They may also be found 
located in the region of the knee or at the elbow. The skin over the 
growths, in accordance witli the originating cause, will be found 
chafed, covered with scabs, or even ulcerated and accompanied by 
collateral edema. 

These connective tissue tumors grow slowly, but reach enormous 
size. They sometimes follow injuries to the region of the throat, and 
form there as hard, firm growths, even reaching the size of a child's 
head. 

A fibroma located upon the larynx is not an infrequent occurrence 
in the ox. These tumors are always sharply outlined and have a 
roughened surface. Thej'^ may be differentiated from actinomycotic 
tumors (see chapter on "Infectious diseases of cattle") in the same 
location by their firm fibrous structure and by the absence of pus 
from the interior. 

A tumor is sometimes met upon tlie muzzle of cattle, which assumes 
a diameter e<iualing the width of tlie muzzle. It is a voluminous con- 
nective tissue formation known by the name of " fibroma difi'usum.'" 

Another form is sometimes observed upon the tongue. It grows 
upon a broad, spreading base, becoming very hard. It is almost 
lacking in blood vessels, although the few that are present are plainly 
in view, and in consequence is poorly supplied with fluids. It is of 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 313 

a smooth contour, white or whitish j'ellow in color, is sharplj' limited 
from the normal snbstancc of the tongue, may be covered with mucous 
membrane, on which prominent papillae are located, or only bj^ a thin, 
delicate laj^er of epithelium, and is usually found in the middle part 
of the tongue, where it may reach the size of two fists. 

Pedunculate, or stemmed, fibrous, tumors are frequently noticed 
growing upon or near the extremity of the tails of cows. These are 
apparently of traumatic origin, such as tying the tail fast while milk- 
ing or shaving it too closely while trimming tlie animal for show pur- 
poses, and usually contain bloody or gelatinous material within, or, 
again, they may be strongly edematous throughout. 

Treatment. — The treatment of large fibromas is surgical, and con- 
sists of the operative removal of the tumor, followed hy suturing of 
the wound. Small external tumors may be painted with zinc chloride, 
chromic acid, or a concentrated solution of bichloride of mercury. 

PAPILLOMA (wart). 

When fibromas develop from the lining or covering tissues they 
frequently form papillary growths, more or less thickly covered with 
epithelium, and are then called papillomas, or warts. 

Papillomas consist of villous-like projections, resulting from a 
proliferation of the outer layer (epithelium) of the skin or mucous 
membrane. These growths are also called " angle berries," and 
may assume a variety of forms. Sometimes there is a preponder- 
ance of epidermis in the formation, and the tumor then appears 
as a hard, dense, insensitive, club-like growth, or wart. Again 
the swelling is chiefly located in the derm, or true skin, and we 
have what is known as a flesh wart (verucca carnea). In other 
cases the growth of papillar bodies projects in great cauliflower-like 
tumors with deeply furrowed and lobulated surface, over which a 
covering of epidermis may or may not be i^resent. These are usually 
much softer and are well supplied with blood vessels. It is not 
uncommon for them to be pedunculate or stemmed, and in this case 
considerable rotary motion or twisting is possible. Their color is 
cloudy gray or grayish red, with white bands of connective tissue 
radiating from the center. Their consistence varies. They undergo 
upon their surfaces and within their clefts and fissures retrogressive 
changes, softening, bleeding, or ulcerations. 

A favorite location for the papilloma in cattle is the udder and 
teats, where they may develop in such numbers as to cover completely 
the entire surface and make the animal troublesome to milk. The 
sides of the head, neck, and shoulder also afl'ord satisfactory con- 
ditions for their growth, and are frequently seen to be affiected by 
them. 

Treatment. — Warts may be removed with the scissors or twisted off 
with the fingers or ligatured by means of a rubber band or horse hair. 



314 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Their roots should then be cauterized with tincture of iron, glacial 
acetic acid, or lunar caustic. Acids should never be used in remov- 
ing warts about the eyes or in the mouth. Papillomas of the eyelids 
sometimes change to cancers and should be removed by taking out a 
wedge-shaped section of the ej^elid. Young cattle should be given 
arsenic internally in the form of Fowler's solution, 1 tablespoonful 
twice a day for a 6-months-old calf. 

POLYPS. 

These are usually fibromas or myxomas, occurring on the mucous 
membrane of the nasal passages or genital track. They grow upon 
a narrow stem, bleed readily when injured, and often contain a 
center of thin, limpid fluid. A bloody discharge is sometimes seen 
coming from the aifected nostril, but this is not always easy of detec- 
tion in cattle, owing to the pliancy of their tongues and to their habit 
of licking an irritated nostril. Usually these tumors grow down- 
ward, and maj^ project from the nostril, causing snoring sounds and 
uneasy breathing. They may occasionally force themselves backward 
into the throat, where they interfere seriously with respiration, the 
patient being obliged to breathe with an effort, and even forced to 
cough in order to dislodge temporarily the obstruction from the 
larj'nx. Such tumors, when located near the nostril, may easily be 
removed by the use of forceps or a loop made of baling wire. Serious 
bleeding is not liable to follow their removal, but an astringent wash, 
such as a solution of the perchloride of iron, if applied to the cut sur- 
face will be found very beneficial. In case the tumor is not within 
easy reach, the services of a qualified veterinarian should be obtained 
to perform the necessary operation. 



This is a tumor consisting chiefl}' of fat cells. The growth is irreg- 
ularly rounded and distinctly lobulated, very soft and almost fluc- 
tuating. It is insensitive, grows slowly, and is always inclosed in a 
distinct fibrous capsule, from which it can be easilj^ shelled out. It 
may become very large and often hangs pendulous from a long elastic 
pedicle. In cattle this tumor may be found in the subcutaneous tis- 
sues, especially of the back and shoulders, uterus, omentum, and 
intestines, and in the latter position it may cause strangulation, or 
"gut tie," by winding around a loop of the intestine. 

Treatment. — When found on the skin the tumor may be readily 
removed with a knife or by a ligature. Caustics and the cauterj- pro- 
duce wounds tliat heal slowlj^ and can not be recommended in th© 
treatment of this tumor. 

CHRONDROMA. 

This tumor formation is composed of cartilage cells. It is a rounded 
and very often unevenlj^ nodular and sharply described tumor. It isf 



TUMOES AFFECTING CATTLE. 315 

very hard, dense, elastic, and painless, and develops principally where 
we find normal cartilage cells. It is rare in cattle, but has been found 
in the subcutaneous tissues and nasal cavities. 
Treatment. — Extirpation. 

OSTEOMA (bony TUMOE). 

Bones may occasionally grow in such a profuse and irregular man- 
ner that the product, or osteophyte, assumes the character of a tumor. 
The bone tissue may possess either spongy or compact properties 
and grow either from the periphery of the bone or within its interior. 
These tumors most frequently appear about the head of the aniiual, 
either upon the jawbones, within the nasal jiassages, or in connection 
with the horns. They are usually of bony hardness, painless, benign, 
and sharply outlined. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in either removing them with 
a saw, chisel, or trephine, or preventing their further development by 
counterirritation with blisters or firing iron. 



Characteristic myxomas are mucoid tumors, which chiefly originate 
from the mucous membrane and are especially to be found within the 
nasal passages and uterus of cattle. They can reach a size of three 
fists, are smooth or A^elvet-like, or may be lobulated, broad at the 
base, and consist of a glassy looking mass of connective tissue, which 
usually shows a distinctive yellowish color. Being homogeneous and 
elastic, the moist, jelly-like tissue composing the tumor may be easily 
destroyed or crushed. When cut through, these tumors soon collapse 
from the loss of their fluids. They sometimes inclose elliptical cavi- 
ties filled with slimy, gelatinous masses. 

Treatmen t. — Extirpation. 

SARCOMA. 

This is a malignant tumor after the type of embryonal tissue, and 
consists of several varieties, such as the round cell, spindle cell, 
giant cell, alveolar, and melano sarcoma. They grow by preference 
in connective tissue and are quite vascular. Sarcomas appear either 
as single or multiple nodules, varying in size from a hempseed to a 
hazelnut, or else as a moderate number of tumors of the size of hen 
eggs. Their surface, at first smooth, becomes later lumpy and tuber- 
ous from internal degeneration. Secondary nodules may appear near 
the primary tumor. The outer skin is not involved as soon as in 
cancer, nor does ulceration follow so rapidly. Sarcoma is about the 
most frequent and dangerous tumor that is found in cattle. It occurs 
in young animals, and is found on the serous membranes, in the 
glandular organs, and on the outer skin, especially of the neck and 
shoulders — in fact, in nearly every tissue and in almost every part of 



316 DISEASES OF TATTLE. 

the body. This tumor is often fomid in places exposed 1o trauma- 
tisms and at seats of sears, or of irritations from pressure and 
iufhimmation. 

Treatment. — Treatment should consist in early and complete removal 
by the knife, including one-half or three-quarters of an inch of the 
sound tissue adjoining the tumor. If there is a possibility that sarco- 
matous tissue still remains, either cauterize the wound with a hot 
ii-on or powder the walls of the cavity with arsenious acid. 

CANCER (carcinoma). 

Cancers are tumors of epithelial tissues and are malignant. There 
are several varieties of cancers, such as hard, soft, and colloid, but 
only those growing on the surface will be mentioned here. These 
malignant tumors of the superficial organs develop primarily from 
the epidermis or from the glands of the skin. They appear second- 
arily as spreading infections from milk glands, thyroids, anal glands, 
or as embolisms. In such cases their sole character depends wholly 
upou the kind of cancer from which they have sprung. The infil- 
trating cancer begins as an elevation of the skin, which progresses 
until it becomes rough and nodular. The surface later becomes 
attacked and an ulcer results, whose edges are outlined hj a hard 
firm zone. 

The ulcerations may remain limited hy cicatricial tissue, but it is 
more likely that the infiltration and destruction of tissue will spread 
out wider and deeper until a rodent ulcer (so called) is formed. One 
of the most frequent sites of cancer in cattle is in the ej^e, where 
they are called fungus hematodes, but they also occur on the skin, 
on the genitals, in the stomach, and within the organs. 

Fungus hemaiodes. — This starts at the inner corner of the e;) e as a 
papillarj^ elevation or as small nodules which become fused. They 
grow larger and become papillomatous, with superficial ulcerations 
and a tendency toward hemorrhage. In some cases the eye is dis- 
placed by the growing tumor or is attacked by the cancer cells and 
entirely destroyed. 

Cancerous growths upon the external genitals and the anus usually 
present a rough, irregular surface from Avhich there is a constant 
sloughing of decomposed tissue accompanied bj' a penetrating, disa- 
greeable odor. 

The diagnosis of cancer maybe made clinically bjMioting the simul- 
taneous infection of the lymph glands which surround the primary 
lesion. Deeply burrowing and infiltrating forms which appear as 
lumps and ulcerations cause marked disfiguration of the affected part. 
'J'he surface becomes a soft, greasy mass; later it cracks open and 
from the fissures blood-colored pus exudes, being continually formed 
by the moist degeneration of the tissues beneath. At first the general 
health of tlie animal does not appear affected, but later the. cancer 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 317 

nodules spread to important organs and give rise to marasmus and 
progressive emaciation. Cancer is not a frequent tumor of cows. 
P^rOhner states that of seventy-five cases of tumors -vVliich came under 
his observation in cattle two, or 2.G per cent, were found to b<^ cancers, 
while twenty, or 2(3.6 per cent, were sarcomas. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists in the early and complete removal 
of the tumor, taking care to include a wide border of healthy tissue. 
This has been most successful in such sui)erficial cancers as those of 
the eye, penis, anus, testicle, vulva, and sheath. If the disease has 
advanced too far, this treatment may not prove efficacious, owing to 
the great malignancy of the cancer and its tendency to recur. In 
such cases the animal may be slaughtered, but the flesh should be 
used for food only after inspection by a competent veterinarian. 

CYSTS. 

Cysts may be true or false tumors and consist of a capsule contain- 
ing a fluid or semisolid content. Among the most important cysts, 
which have been briefly referred to in a previous table, the following 
are probably the most noteworthy, owing to the frequency with Avhich 
they are found in bovines: 

SOFTENING CYSTS. 

Softening cysts, which result from the degenerative liquefaction of 
normal or diseased tissues, especially of tumors of different kinds, 
followed by the encapsulation of the fluid. 

PARASITIC CYSTS. 

Parasitic or foreign-body cysts, due to the inflammatory reaction 
induced by such parasites as the echinococcus (hj^datid cyst) or by 
the presence of various kinds of foreign bodies. 

EXTRAVASATION CYSTS. 

Extravasation cysts, caused hy injuries which rupture blood vessels, 
followed by an increase of fibrous tissue which forms a capsule about 
the fluid. The hygromata in front of the knee in cattle, so-called 
tumor of the knee, and serous cysts belong to this variety. 

Hygromata, or tumors of the knee. — These consist in the simplest 
form of a collection of serous fluid mixed with fibrin within a dis- 
tended bursa. The walls surrounding the fluid become firm, smooth, 
and dense. 

Outwardlj^ the tumor appears fluctuating, though tense, while the 
skin which covers it ma}^ be normal, denuded of hair, or covered with 
hard epidermal scales, possibly half an inch in thickness, forming a 
hard, horny plate. The cavity which contains the fluid may have the 
dimensions of a hen's Qgg,, an apple, or a child's head. Its wails are 



318 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

formed by the diseased secreting membrane of the bursal sac, and are 
readily detachable from the subcutis of the skin. Their internal sur- 
faces are often imeven or supplied with projections or tufted growths 
which support a fibrous network within the tumor. 

Tumors of the knee may also assume a granular tj'^pe, as the result 
of chronic inflammation or following operative or spontaneous evacua- 
tion of I3US from the part. They are either firmly connected with the 
skin or are detachable from it, and, when laid open, disclose a whitish 
red, pork-like tissue surrounding a central nucleus of pus, or a fistu- 
lous tract leading to the outer surface. They are caused by the 
chronic inflammation which follows the bruises received by cattle in 
lying down and in rising or they may be due to falls on uneven, hard 
ground. 

Treafnient for hygromata. — When the swelling first appears cold 
water should be applied, . followed later by bandaging with cloths 
wrung out of warm water. If the swelling is soft, it should be punc- 
tured at the lowest point, and afterwards the cavity should be syringed 
with Lugol's solution. If the tumor is hard :ind nonfluctuating, a 
mercurial blister might cause absorption and at the same time pre- 
vent further injury to the part by making it more painful, thus 
sparing it. 

Serous cysts. — These swellings are another variety of extravasation 
cysts, and are due to such injuries as butting, running against hard 
objects, and shipping bruises, which are followed by an outpouring 
of blood aud lymph into the tissue spaces. These cysts develop rap- 
id Ij' and may reach the size of a man's head or even larger. They are 
soft, .edematous, and hot at first and contain a serous or blood- 
tinged fluid. Later partiall}^ organized clots and shreds of a fibrin- 
ous nature and of a gelatinous consistence are formed within, and 
the temperature of the swelling is reduced. They appear on the sur- 
face of the body, especiallj' on the belly and flank of cattle. 

Treatment of serous cysts. — Treatment consists in opening the c^'st 
at the most dependent point Avith a sharj) knife. The cavit}'^ should 
be iujected out twice daily with a o per cent solution of carbolic acid 
and drainage encouraged by keeping the incision open. 

DERMOU) CYSTS. 

These cysts have a wall which is almost an exact duplicate of the 
structure of the skin, and frequently contain epidermal structures, 
sucli as hair and teeth, which, in the development of the embryo, have 
been misplaced. Thus we may find in an ovaiy or testicle a dermoid 
cyst, containing a tooth or a ball of hair. Dental cysts are included 
in the above class. 

Dental cysts. — It occasionally happens that the teeth of cattle, instead 
of developing normally within strong supporting alveola?, remain 
inclosed within a cj^stic membrane, which assumes a tumor-like charac- 



TUMORS AFFECTING CATTLE. 319 

ter. Oue tooth lua^' be included aloue in the cyst or a number may be 
inclosed together. However this may be, the malformation progresses, 
cspeciallj' if confined to the incisor teeth,'until the remaining teeth, that 
began to develop normally, are crowded out of position and rendered 
useless. The tumor may reach the size of a man's fist. It appears 
to be fleshy and dents upon pressure, but it may also appear on closer 
examination as though it contained irregular sections of thin bone. 
The outer surface is always smooth, and no indication of purulence, 
softening, or scab formation is ever exhibited. Upon being laid open 
with the knife the tumor is seen to be surrounded by a firm, smooth 
membrane which limits it completely from the adjoining tissues. It is 
filled with material which possesses partly edematous, partly fleshy, 
and partly bony properties. It is supposed that this mass is composed 
of rudiments of the jawbone or of the alveolar walls which, becoming 
spongy, lose themselves in the soft, fleshy mass contained within the 
capsule of the tumor. It occasionally happens that the tumor is hol- 
low and that the cavity extends back into the body of the lower jaw 
for a considerable distance. 

Tumors of this kind, being of congenital origin, are very naturally 
observed most frequently in young cattle, but they may continue to 
expand for a period of several months after the birth of the calf, even 
until they become troublesome and unsightly. 

Treatment for dental cysts. — Treatment consists in the complete 
extirpation of the cyst and the destruction of the lining pouch by 
curetting. 

RETENTION CYSTS. 

Retention cysts arise from the retention of normal secretions, due 
to obstruction of a duct leading from a gland. The mucous cysts 
found in the mouth, udder, and vestibule of cows are samples of this 
form. 

Mucous cysts. — Sac-like dependent tumors, caused by retention of 
the secretions from the mucous glands, sometimes develop in the 
mouth, nose, pharj nx, and vulva of cattle. They are called "mucous 
cysts." These are of sizes varying from pease to pigeon eggs, are 
roundish and translucent, and surrounded b}' a delicate vascular mem- 
brane. They contain a sirui)-like substance more or less thick and 
transparent and whitish yellow in color. 

Treatment for mucous cysts. — Treatment consists in the puncturing 
of the swelling, if accessible, and the destruction of the cyst walls by 
the injection of Lugol's solution. 

PROLIFERATION CYSTS. 

These are found especially in the ovaries of cows, called "cystic 
ovaries," and may produce nymphomania (chronic bulling). 

Treatment for proliferation cysts. — The treatment indicated in this 
case is the removal of the diseased ovaries. 



DISEASES OF THE STHK 

By M. R. Trumbower. D. V. S. 

[Revised in WH by Leonard Pearson. B. S., V. M. D.] 

The skm consists of two parts — a superficial layer, the epidermis, or 
r-\iticle; and the deep, or true, skin, the dermis, cutis vera, or corinm. 

The epidermis, cuticle, or scarf skin, is an epithelial structure, form- 
ing a protective covering to the corium. It varies in thickness, is 
quite insensible and nonvascular, and consists of a sheet of cells. 

The epidermis is divided into a firm and transparent superficial and 
a deep soft layer. The latter is the rete mucosum, in whose cells the 
pigment exists which gives color to the skin. The deep surface of the 
epidermis is accurately molded on the papillary layer of the true skin, 
and, when removed by maceration, presents depressions which corre- 
spond to the elevations on the dermis. From the cuticle tubular pro- 
longations pass into the sebaceous and sudorific glands; thus the 
entire surface of the body is inclosed by the cuti3le. 

The dermis, or true skin, is vascular and highly sensitive, contain- 
ing the tactile ends of the nerves of touch. It is covered by epi- 
dermis, and attached to the underlying parts by a layer of areolar 
tissue, which usually contains fat. The cutis consists of fibro-areolar 
tissue and vessels of supply. It is divided into two layers, the deep 
or true corium and the upper or papillary. The corium consists of 
strong interlacing fibrous bands, chiefly white; its meshes are larger 
and more open toward the attached surface, giving lodgment to the 
sweat glands and fat. The papillary, or superficial, layer is formed of 
a series of small conical eminences or papillse, which are highh" sen- 
sitive, and consist of a homogenous transparent tissue. The blood 
vessels form dense capillary plexuses in the corium, terminating by 
loops in the papillfe. The papillary nerves run in a waving manner, 
usually terminating in loops. 

Hnir is an appendage of the skin and forms its external covering. 
It is a special modification of epidermis, having the same essential 
structure. It consists of a root, shaft, and point. The root has a bulb- 
ous extremity, is lighter and softer than the stem, and lodged in a 
recess or hair follicle, which may either be in the corium or subcuta- 
neous areolpe. The follicle is dilated at the bottom to correspond with 
the root bulb, and the ducts of one or more sebaceous glands open into 
it. At the bottom of each follicle is a conical vascular papilla, similar 
in every respect to those on the surface of the dermis; this papilla fits 
into a corresponding depression in the root of the hair. The shaft con- 
820 



^1 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 321 

sists of a center, or medulla, a surrounding fibrous portion, and an 
external coating, or cortex. The medulla consists of cells containing 
pigment or fat, is opaque, and deeply colored. All kinds of hair do not 
have this medulla. The fibrous portion occupies the bulk of the stem, 
and the cortex is merely a single layer of thin, flat, imbricated scales. 

The sebaceous glands, lodged in the corium, are most abundant in 
parts exposed to friction. They generally open into the hair follicles, 
occasionally on the surface of the body. Each gland consists of a 
small duct, which terminates in a lobulated recess. These lobules 
vary, and are, as is the duct, lined with epithelium. They are filled 
with sebaceous matter which, as it is secreted, is detached into the 
sacs. They are very plentiful between the claws of cattle. 

The sudorific glands, or sweat glands, are situated in the subcuta- 
neous areolar tissue, surrounded by a quantity of fat. They are small, 
round, reddish bodies, each of which consists of one or more fine tubes 
coiled into a ball, the free end of the tube being continued up through 
the true skin and cuticle, and opening on the surface. Each sweat 
gland is supplied with a cluster of capillary blood vessels which vary 
in size, being very large when perspiration is excessive. The contents 
of the smaller ones are fluid, and of the larger, semifluid. 

The skin may be regarded as an organ supplementary in its action 
to the lungs and kidneys, since the skin by its secretion is capable 
of removing a considerable quantity of water from the blood, small 
amounts of carbon dioxide, and small amounts of salts, and in certain 
instances during suppression of the renal secretions, a small amount 
of urea. The skin is also the chief organ for the regulation of animal 
heat, by or through conduction, radiation, and evaporation of water, 
permitting of loss of heat, while it also, through other mechanisms, is 
able to regulate the amount of heat lost. The hair furnishes protec- 
tion against extreme and sudden variations of temperature by the 
fact that hairs are j)oor conductors of heat, and inclose between them 
a still layer of air, itself a nonconductor of heat. The hairs are also 
furnished with an apparatus by which the loss of heat may be regu- 
lated; thus, in cold weather, through the contraction of unstriped 
muscular fibers of the skin, the hairs become erect and the external 
coat becomes thicker. Cold, too, acts as a stimulus to the growth of 
hair, and we find, in consequence, a thicker coat in winter than in 
summer. The hairs also furnish protection against wet, as they are 
always more or less oily from the secretion of sebaceous glands, and 
thus shed water. The hairs, through their elasticity, furnish mechani- 
cal protection, and through the thickness of the coat, to a certain 
degree, resist the attacks of insects. Finally, the hairs assist the 
sense of touch. 

The sweat glands are constantly discharging a watery secretion in 
the form of insensible perspiration, and by their influence act as 

8267—04 21 



322 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

regulators of the temperature of the body. Hence, in warm weather, 
the secretion of the skin is increased, which tends to j)revent the 
overheating of the body. Sweating, in addition to regulating heat, is 
also an active agent in removing effete material from the blood; there- 
fore this secretion can not be checked without danger to the animal. 
If the skin be covered with an impermeable coating of grease or tar, 
death results from blood iDoisoning, due to the retention of materials 
destined to be excreted by the skin. 

The total amount of secretion poured out by the skin is not only 
modified by the condition of the atmosphere, but also by the char- 
acter and quantit}?^ of the food, hj the amount of exercise, and espe- 
cially by the quantity of fluid taken. 

The sebaceous secretion is intended to lubricate the skin and hairs. 
It consists of soft, fatty material suspended in water, and is charac- 
terized by a special odor peculiar to the animal by which it is secreted. 

I will not attempt to classify the various diseases of the skin, for in 
a work of this kind it would serve only to confuse the reader. 

We shall first consider a class of diseases which are of an infiamma- 
tory type; next, those due to faulty secretion and abnormal growth; 
then, diseases of parasitic origin; and, lastly, local injuries of the skin. 

PRURITIS (itching). 

We shall consider pruritis first as a distinct subject. It is not a dis- 
ease, only a sensation, and therefore a symptom. It is one of the 
symptoms accompanying the majority of the diseases which we will 
consider in this chapter. It is, then, a functional affection produced 
by slight irritation from without or by an internal cause acting 
upon the sensory nerves of the skin. Nothing characteristic is seen 
except the secondary lesions, produced mechanically bj^ scratching or 
rubbing. 

There are various forms of itching, the result of specific skin dis- 
eases, where the pruritis is a secondary symptom. In such cases it 
should not be regarded as an independent affection. 

Causes. — Many causes may induce the condition which we recog- 
nize here as pruritis. The most common one is dirt on the skin, 
resulting from insufficient care. If the ceiling of the stable is open, 
so that dust and straw maj^ fall down, the skin is irritated and jiru- 
ritis results. It also occurs in some forms of indigestion. 

The parts of the body most exposed to this condition are the croup, 
the back, the top of the neck, and the root of the tail. 

Another cause is found in affections of the liver and of the kidneys, 
when an increase of effete material has to be thrown off by the skin. 
Morbid materials circulating in the blood may produce a tickling or 
smarting sensation of the skin in their passage from the blood to the 
free surface of the skin. Certain irritating substances when eaten may 
be excreted by the skin, and coming thus in direct contact with the 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 323 

sensory nerves produce itching, or may go further and cause dis- 
tinct inflammation of the skin. In another class of cases the prnritis 
may be due to an atrophy, contraction, orhardeningof the skin, when 
the nerves become irritated by the pressure. These conditions may be 
so slightly marked in a thick skin like that of the ox that thej^ can not 
be recognized. It is frequently noticed that cattle will rub themselves 
as soon as they pass from the stable into the open air — changing from 
a warm to a cold atmosphere. Again, we may find an animal which 
does all its rubbing in the stall. We may look for lice, but fail to find 
them. These conditions are generally attributable to high feeding and 
to too close confinement. They may be associated with inflammatory 
irritation or not; certainlj^ we fail to discover any morbid changes in 
the skin. There is to some extent a delightful sensation produced by 
rubbing, and it may partly become a habit of pleasure. 

Treatment. — We must place our chief reliance upon a change of food, 
plenty of exercise, and in most cases the administration of an active 
cathartic — 1 to 1^ pounds of Epsom salts, a handful of common salt, a 
tablespoonful of ginger or pepper, mixed with 2 quarts of water, all 
of which is to be given at one dose. Afterwards half an ounce of hypo- 
sulphite of soda may be given twice a day for a week, mixed with the 
feed. For an external application, when the skin is abraded or thick- 
ened from rubbing, a solution of borax, 4 ounces to the quart of water, 
may be used. Carbolic acid, ^ ounce to a quart of water, will give 
relief in some cases. 

INFLAMMATORY DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 
ERYTHEMA. 

This is the simplest form of inflammation of the skin. It consists of 
an increased redness, which may occur in patches or involve consider- 
able surface. The red coloration disappears when pressed upon by 
the finger, but soon returns after the pressure is removed. There is 
seldom much swelling of the affected part, though often a glutinous 
discharge may be noticed, which dries and mats the hair or forms a 
thin scale upon the skin. In simple erythema the epidermis alone is 
affected; when it becomes chronic, fissures form, which extend into 
the corium, or true skin. 

Causes. — Simple erj^thema, consisting of an inflammatory irrita- 
tion, is witnessed in very young calves, in which the navel leaks. 
The discharge being urine, it causes an irritation of the surrounding 
skin. Chafing, which is another form of erythema, is occasionally 
seen on the udder of cows from rubbing by the legs ; chafing between 
the legs is not uncommon among fat steers. Chronic erythema is 
found in the form of chapped teats of cows and chapped lips in suck- 
ing calves. It frequently occurs in cows when they are turned out 
in winter directly after milking, and in others from chafing by the 



324 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

calf in sucking. Some cows are peculiarly subject to sore teats. The 
fissures when neglected in the early stage of formation become deep, 
very painful, often bleeding at the slightest touch, and cause the 
animal to become a kicker when milked in that condition. Occasion- 
allj^ the lower portions of the legs become irritated and chapped when 
cattle are fed in a mudd}^ or wet yard in winter, or if they are com- 
pelled to wade through water in frosty weather. Another form of 
erythema occurs in young cattle highly fed and closely stabled for a 
long winter. The erythema appears in patches, and as it is most 
common near the end of the winter it is known as the "spring erup- 
tion" or "spring itch." 

Treatment. — In ordinary cases of erythema the removal of the cause 
and the application of benzoated oxide of zinc ointment, carbolized 
cosmoline, or a mixture of creolin, 1 ounce to a pint of water, applied 
a few times, will restore the skin to a healthy condition. 

When there are fissures the zinc ointment is the best. If at the 
teats, a milk siphon (PI. XXIV, fig. 4) should be used instead of 
milking by hand, and the calf, if there is one suckled, should be taken 
away. When the calf's mouth is affected it should be fed by hand. 
When the legs are irritated or chapped, dry stabling for a few days 
and the application of tar ointment will soon heal them. 

URTICARIA (nettle RASH, OR SURFEIT). 

This is a mild inflammatory afiiection of the skin, characterized by 
sudden development of patches of various sizes, from that of a nickel 
to one as large as the hand. The patches of raised skin are marked 
by an abrupt border and are irregular in form. Ail the swelling may 
disappear in a few hours, or it may go away in one place and reappear 
on another part of the body. It is always accompanied b}'^ a great 
desire to rub the affected part. In its simplest type, as just described, 
it is never followed by any serous exudation or eruptions, unless the 
surface of the skin becomes abraded from scratching or rubbing. 

Causes. — Derangements of the digestive organs are the most com- 
mon causes, such as overloading the stomach when the animal is 
turned out to graze in the spring, certain constituents of food, and 
high feeding among fattening stock. When the kidneys are func- 
tionally deranged, urticaria may appear. Spinal irritation and other 
nervous affections may cause it. The disease consists in a paralysis 
of the nerve ends that control the volume of the capillary vessels in 
certain areas of skin, thus permitting the vessels to expand, their 
contents in part to exude, and thus produce a soft, circumscribed 
swelling. 

Treatment. — Administer a full dose of Epsom salts. Give soft, easily 
digested food, and wash the affected parts with a solution of bicar- 
bonate of soda — common baking soda — 8 ounces to the gallon of water 
twice a day, or diluted glycerine may be applied to the skin. If it 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 325 

assumes a persistent tendency, give a tablespoonful of the following 
powder in the feed three times a day: Cream of tartar, sulphur, and 
nitrate of potash, equal parts by weight; mix. 

ECZEMA. 

Eczema is a noncontagious inflammation of the skin, characterized 
by any or all of the results of inflammation at once or in succession, 
such as erythema, vesicles, or pustules, accompanied by more or less 
infiltration and itching, terminating in a watery discharge, with the 
formation of crusts or in scaling off. The disease may run an acute 
course and then disappear, or it may become chronic; therefore, two 
varieties are recognized, vesicular, or pustular, and chronic eczema. 

Causes. — Eczema is not so common among cattle as in horses and 
in dogs, in which it is the most common of all skin diseases. Among 
cattle it is occasionally observed under systems of bad hygiene, filthi- 
ness, lousiness, overcrowding, overfeeding, excessively damp or too 
warm stables. It is found to develop now and then in cattle that are 
fed upon sour substances, distillery swill, house or garden garbage, 
etc. Localized eczema may be caused by irritant substances applied 
to the skin — turpentine, ammonia, the essential oils, mustard, Spanish 
fly ointment, etc. Occasionally an eruption with vesiculation of the 
skin has been induced by the excessive use of mercurial preparations 
for the destruction of lice. It is evident that eczema may arise from 
local irritation to the skin or from an auto-intoxication. Cattle fed 
on the refuse from potato-starch factories develop a most obstinate and 
widespread eczema, beginning on the legs. 

Symptoyns. — In accordance with the variety of symptoms during the 
progress of the disease we may divide it into different stages or periods: 

(1) Swelling and increased heat of the skin; the formation of vesicles, 
which are circumscribed, rounded elevations of the epidermis, varying 
in size from a pin head to a split pea, containing a clear, watery fluid; 

(2) exudation of a watery, glutinous fluid, formation of crusts, and 
sometimes suppuration, or the formation of vesicles containing pus 
(pustules); (3) scaling off (desquamation), with redness, and thicken- 
ing of the skin. From the very beginning of the disease the animal 
will commence to rub the affected parts; hence the various stages may 
not always be easily recognized, as the rubbing will produce more or 
less abrasion, thus leaving the skin raw — sometimes bleeding. Neither 
do these symptoms always occur in regular succession, for in some 
cases the exudation will be most prominent, being very profuse, and 
serve to spread the disorder over a large surface. In other cases the 
formation of incrustations, or rawness of the skin, will be the most 
striking feature. The disease may be limited to certain small areas, 
or it may be diffused over the greater part of the body; the vesicles, 
or pustules, may be scattered in small clusters, or a large number run 
together. The chronic form is really onl}^ a prolongation of the disease, 



326 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

successive crops of pustules appearing on various portions of the body, 
frequentl3' invading fresh sections of the skin, while the older surfaces 
form scabs, or crusts, upon the ra^v, indurated skin. 

In old standing cases the skin will break, forming fissures, especially 
on portions of the body that bend — the neck and limbs. Thus the dis- 
ease may be prolonged indefinitely. When eczema reaches its latest 
period, either acute or chronic, desquamation of the affected parts 
is the most prominent feature. The formation and shedding of these 
successive crops of scales constitute the character of the disease fre- 
quently denominated 2^soriasis. 

Treatment. — The treatment of eczema is often anything but a pleas- 
ant task. There is no one method of treatment which will always 
prove successful, no matter how early it is begun or how small an 
area is involved. We must endeavor to remove the cause by giving 
attention to the general health of the animal and to its environment. 
Feeding should be moderate in quantity and not too stimulating in 
character — green feed, bran mashes, ground oats, clean hay, plenty 
of salt. If the animal has been fed too high, give an active purga- 
tiv^e — Epsom salts preferred — once a week, if necessary, and half an 
ounce of acetate or nitrate of potash may be given in the feed twice a 
day. If the animal is in poor condition and debilitated, give a table- 
spoonful of the following mixture in feed twice a day: Powdered cop- 
peras, gentian, sulphur, and sassafras bark, equal parts by weight. 
If the animal is lousy, the parasite must be destroyed before the 
eczema can be cured. The external treatment must vary with the 
character of the lesions; no irritating application is to be made while 
the disease is in its acute vesicular, or pustular, stage, and, in the 
chronic stage, active stimulants must be used. Much washing is 
harmful, yet crusts and scales must be removed in order to obtain 
satisfactory results from the external applications. Both objects, 
however, can be attained by judiciously combining the curative 
agents with such substances as will at the same time cleanse the 
parts. 

In the vesicular stage, when the skin is feverish and the epidermis 
peeling off, exposing the exuding dermis, an application of boracic acid 
solution, 2 drams of the acid to 8 ounces of water, will often relieve 
the smarting or itching, and also serve to check the exudation and 
dry the surface. If this fails to have the desired effect, use creolin, 
1 ounce to a quart of water, as a wash. Either of these washes may 
be used several times a day until incrustation is well established. 
Then use creolin, 1 ounce to a pint of sweet oil, or the benzoated oxide 
of zinc ointment, giving the affected surfaces a thorough application 
once a day. When the eczema is not the result of an external irri- 
tant, it takes usually from one to two weeks before the healing is 
completed. 

In chronic eczema, where there is a succession of scabs, or scales, 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 327 

indolent sores or fissures, the white precipitate ointment, nitrate of 
mercury ointment, or bine ointment, mixed with equal parts of cos- 
moline or fresh lard, may be applied every second day, taking care to 
protect the parts so anointed that the animal can not lick it off. 

In some cases the use of the following mixture will do well: Oil of 
tar one-half ounce, glycerine 1 ounce, alcohol 1 pint. Rub this in 
after cleansing the parts with warm water and soap. The internal 
administration of arsenic often yields excellent results in chronic 
eczema. Take 1 dram of arsenic, 1 dram of carbonate of potash, 1 
pint of boiling water, and give 1 ounce of this twice a day in water, 
after feeding. An alkali internally may be of service. As such, one 
may give 2 ounces of bicarbonate of soda twice daily. Sublimed sul- 
phur may also be tried in ounce doses twice daily. 

PUSTULES (impetigo). 

Impetigo is an inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by 
the formation of distinct pustules, about the size of a pea or a bean, 
unattended by itching. The pustules develop from the papular layer 
of the skin, and contain a yellowish white pus. After reaching 
maturity they remain stationary for a few days, then they disappear 
by absorption and dry up into crusts. Later the crusts drop off, leav- 
ing upon the skin a red spot which soon disappears. Occasionally the 
crusts remain firmlj^ adherent for a long time, or they may be raised 
and loosened by the formation of matter underneath. The dry crusts 
usually have a brown or black appearance. 

Causes. — Impetigo affects sucking calves, in which the disease 
appears upon the lips, nostrils, and face. It is attributed to some 
irritant substance contained in the mother's milk. Impetigo is also 
witnessed among grazing animals, regardless of age, and it especially 
attacks animals with white hair and skin. The mouth, face, and 
limbs become covered with pustules, which may rupture in a few 
hours, followed by rapid and successive incrustations; the scabs fre- 
quently coalesce, covering a large surface; pus may form under them, 
and the whole thickness of the skin become involved in the morbid 
process. This form of the disease is attributed to the local irritant 
projDerties of plants growing in the pasture, such as St. John's 
wort {Hypericunn perforatiiin), smartweed {Polygonum liydropiper), 
vetches, honeydew, etc. Buckwheat, at the time the seeds become 
ripe, is said to have caused it, also bedding with buckwheat straw. 

Treatment. — Sucking calves should be removed from the mother, 
and the latter should have a purgative to divert the poisonous sub- 
stance secreted with the milk. When the more formidable disease 
among grazing cattle appears, the pasturage should be changed, and 
the affected parts of the animal thoroughly anointed once a day with 
sweet oil, containing 2 drams of carbolic acid to the pint. This should 
be continued until the crusts soften and begin to drop off, then the 



328 DISEASES OB^ CATTLE. 

parts may be cleansed thoroughly with warm water and soap. Sub- 
sequently apply the white precipitate ointment or carbolized cosmoline 
daily until the parts are healed. 

PEMPHIGUS (water BLISTEES). 

This is an inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by suc- 
cessive formations of rounded, irregularly shaped water blisters, vary- 
ing in size from a pea to a hen's egg. 

Causes. — Obscure. 

Symptoms. — The formation of a blister is preceded by a congestion 
or swelling of the skin. Yellowish colored water collects beneath the 
cuticle, which raises the latter from its bed in the form of a blister. 
The blisters appear in a succession of crops ; as soon as one crop dis- 
appears another forms. They usually occur in clusters, each one being 
distinct, or they may coalesce. Each crop usually runs its course in 
a week. Itching ov burning sensations attend this disease which 
cause the animal to rub, thereby frequently producing excoriations 
and formation of crust on the affected region. 

Treatment. — Give a tablespoonful of the following mixture in feed 
twice a day: Saltpeter, cream of tartar, and sulphur, equal parts by 
weight. The blisters should be open-ed as soon as formed, to allow 
the escape of the serum, then apply a wash composed of chloride of 
zinc, 1 dram to 15 ounces of water. When there is any formation of 
crusts, apply carbolized cosmoline. 

FURUNCULUS ( BOILS ). 

This is an acute affection of the skin, usually involving its whole 
thickness, characterized by the formation of one or more abscesses, 
originating generally in a sebaceous gland, sweat gland, or hair 
follicle. They usually terminate hy absorption, or by the formation 
of a central core, which sloughs out, leaving a deep, round cavity that 
soon heals. 

Causes. — Impoverished state of the blood, the result of kidnej' dis- 
eases, or of local friction or contusions. 

Symptoms. — Boils in cattle usually appear singly, not in clusters; 
they may attain the size of a hen's egg. The abscess begins as a 
small round nodule, painful to pressure, gradually increases in size 
until death of the central portion takes place, then the surface of the 
skin gives way to internal pressure, and the core is released and 
expelled. Constitutional symptoms are generally absent, unless the 
boils occur in considerable numbers, or by their size involve a great 
amount of tissue. 

Treatment. — Poulticing to ripen the abscess. If this can not be 
done, apply camphorated oil two or three times a day until the core 
is formed. As soon as the central or most prominent part becomes 
soft, the abscess should be opened to release the core Then use car- 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 329 

I)olized cosmoline once a day until the healing is completed. If the 
animal is in poor condition, give tonics — copperas, gentian, ginger, 
and sulphur, equal parts by weight, 1 tablesiwonful twice a day. If 
the animal manifests a feverish condition of the system, administer 
half an ounce of saltpeter twice a day, continuing it several days or 
a week. 

FAULTY SECRETIONS AND ABNORMAL GROWTHS OF THE SKIN. 

PITYRIASIS (seborrhea, DANDRUFF, OR SCURF). 

This is a condition characterized by an excessive secretion of seba- 
ceous matter, forming uj^on the skin in small crusts, or scales. 

Causes. — It is due to a functional derangement of the sebaceous 
glands, usually accomj)anied by dryness and loss of pliancy of the 
skin. The animal is hidebound, as it is commonly termed, thin in 
flesh, inclined to rub, and very frequently lous3^ The condition is 
observed most often toward the spring of the year. Animals that are 
continually housed, and the skins of which receive no cleaning, gen- 
erally present a coat filled with fine scales, composed of epithelium 
from the epidermis and dried sebaceous matter. This, however, is a 
physiological condition, and compatible with perfect health. 

Symptoms. — Pityriasis may affect the greater portion of the bod 3% 
though usually onl}^ certain parts are affected — the ears, neck, rump, 
etc. The skin becomes scurfy, tlie hairy coat filled with bran-like 
gray or whitish scales. 

Treatment. — Nutritious food, such as oil-cake meal, bran, ground 
oats, and clean hay. In the spring the disease generallj^ disappears 
after the animal is turned out to pasture. When lice are present they 
should be destroj^ed. 

ELEPHANTIASIS (SCLERODERMA). 

Tliis condition consists in a chronic thickening of the skin, which 
may affect one or more limbs, or involve the wiiole integument. It is 
characterized by recurrent attacks of swelling of the skin and sub- 
cutaneous areolar tissue. After each attack the affected parts remain 
infiltrated to a larger extent than before, until finally the skin may 
attain a thickness of an inch, become wrinkled and fissured. In cat- 
tle this disease is confined to hot climates. The predisposing cause 
is unknown. 

EDEMA (anasarca OF THE SKIN). 

This is a dropsical condition of the skin and subcutaneous areolar 
tissue, characterized by pitting under pressure, the fingers leaving a 
dent which remains a short time. 

Causes. — Edema generally results from a weakened state of tlie 
system, arising from previous disease. It may also be dependent 
upon a functional derangement of the kidneys, upon weak circula- 



330 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tion, or obstruction to the flow of blood through the lungs. In debili- 
tated animals and in some animals heavilj^ infested with pai-asites 
there is swelling of the dewlap or of the fold of skin between the jaws. 

Symptoms. — Painless swelling of a limb, udder, lower surface of 
abdomen, or lower jaw becomes apparent. This may increase in di- 
mensions for several days, or may attain its maximum in less than 
twenty-four hours. Unless complicated with some acute disease of a 
specific character, there is not much, if any, constitutional disturb- 
ance. The deep layer of the skin is infiltrated with serum, which 
gives it the characteristic condition of pitting under pressure. 

TreatTTient. — When the cause can be ascertained and removed, we 
will have a reasonable expectation of seeing the edema disappear. 
When no direct specific cause can be discovered and the animal is 
debilitated, give general tonic. If, on the contrary, it is in good flesh, 
give a purgative, followed by half an ounce of acetate of potash twice 
a day. External applications are useless. 

Edema may be distinguished from erysipelas or anthrax by the 
absence of pain and fever. 

DERMOID AND SEBACEOUS CYSTS (WENS). 

A dermoid cyst is formed by an involution of the skin, with a growth 
of hair on the inner wall of the sac. It may become embedded deeply 
in the tissues subcutaneouslj' , or may just i)enetrate the thickness of 
the skin, where it is movable and i^ainless. They are generally found 
within the ear or at its base, although they may form on any part of 
the body. Usually they have a small opening, from which a thick, 
cheesy matter can be squeezed out. The rational treatment is to dis- 
sect them out. 

Sebaceous cysts appear not unlike the former. They are formed by 
a dilatation of the hair follicle and sebaceous duct within the skin, 
and contain a gray or yellowish sebaceous mass. The tumor maj 
attain the size of a cherry stone or a walnut. Generally they are 
round, movable, and painless, soft or doughj^ in consistency, and 
covered with skin and hair. They develop slowly. The best treat- 
ment is to dissect out the sac with contents entire. 

VERRUCA (warts). 

Cattle are affected with two varieties of warts. One, the verruca 
vulgaris, is composed of a cluster of enlarged papillje, covered with a 
thickened epidermis, the number of papillae determining the breadth 
and their length its height. They are generally circular in figure, 
slightly roughened on the surface, and spring from the skin by a broad 
base. Occasionally large numbers of very thin, long, pedunculated 
warts grow from the skin of the ear, lips, about the eyes, and vulva. 
Another variety, the verruca acuminata, sometimes erroneously 
denominated epithelial cancers, are irregularly shaped elevations, 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 331 

tufted or club-shaped, occasionally existing as thick, short, fleshy- 
excrescences, giving the growth the appearance of granulation tissue. 
Their color is red or purplish, and oftentimes bj^ friction they become 
raw and bleeding, emitting then a very offensive odor. They usually 
grow in clusters and their development is rapid. 

Causes. — An abnormal nutrition of the skin, determined by increased 
energy of growth operating upon a healthj'^ skin; at other times, upon 
a weak or impoverished skin. 

Treatment. — When they are small and pedunculated they may be 
snipped off with shears, and the stump touched with nitrate of silver. 
When they are broad and flattened they can be dissected out, and the 
wound cauterized, if necessarj^ If they are large and very vascular, 
they may be ligated, one by one, by taking a strong cord and tying it 
as firmly around the base as possible. They will then shrivel, die, and 
drop off. If there is a tendency to grow again, apply a red-hot iron, 
or nitric acid with a glass rod. Yery often warts will quickly disap- 
pear if they are kept soft by daily applications of sweet or olive oil. 



Kelis is an irregularly shaped flat tumor of the skin, resulting from 
hypertrophy^ — increased growth of the fibrous tissue of the corium, 
producing absorption of the papillary layer. 

Causers. — It may arise spontaneously, or follow a scar after an 
injury. 

Symptoms. — Kelis generallj^ appears below the knee or hock. It 
may occur singly or in numbers. There are no constitutional symp- 
toms. Its growth is very slow and seldom causes any inconvenience. 
It appears as a flattened, irregular, or spreading growth within the 
substance of the skin, is hard to the touch, and is especially charac- 
terized by divergent branches or roots, resembling the claws of a crab, 
and hence the name. Occasionally some part of it may soften and 
result in an abscess. It may grow several inches in length and 
encircle the whole limb. 

Treatme7it. — So long as it causes the animal no inconvenience it is 
best not to meddle with it; when it does, the animal ought to be fat- 
tened for beef, the meat being perfectly harmless to the consumer. 

PARASITIC DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

SCABIES (ACARIASIS, MANGE, OR ITCH). 
[See discussion on these parasites in chapter on "The aninial parasites of cattle.'"] 

PHTHIRIASIS (lousiness). 
[See discussion on these parasites in chapter on "The animal parasites of cattle."] 

ESTRIASIS (warbles, OR GRUB IN THE SKIN). 
[See discussion on this parasite in chapter on •■ The animal parasites of cattle.'"] 



332 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

BUFFALO GNAT (SIMULIUM PECUARUM). 
[See discussion of this parasite in chapter on "The animal parasites of cattle."] 

HORN FLY (h^MATOBIA SERRATA) . 
[See discussion of this parasite in chapter on "The animal parasites of cattle."] 

TICKS (IXODES). 

[See discussion of this parasite in chapter on " The animal parasites of cattle."] 

FLEAS (PULEX IRRITANS AND SARCOPSYLLA PENETRANS). 

[See discussion of these parasites in chapter on "The animal parasites of cattle."] 

FLIES AND MOSQUITOS. 
[See discussion of these parasites in chapter on " The animal parasites of cattle."] 

RINGWORM (TINEA TONSURANS AND TINEA FAVOSA). 

Ringworm is an affection of the skin, due to a vegetable parasite. 
Tinea ionsurans is due to the presence of a minute or microscopic fun- 
gus — the Trichophyton tonsurans. It affects the hair and the epidermic 
layer of the skin, and is highly contagious, being readily transmitted 
from one animal to another. This fungus consists of spores and fila- 
ments. The spores, being the most numerous, are round, nucleated, 
and seldom vary much in size. They are very abundant in the hair 
follicle. The filaments are articulated, waving, and contain granules. 
This disease is productive of changes in the root and shaft of the 
hair, rendering it brittle and easily broken off. 

Symptoms. — This disease becomes manifest by the formation of 
circular patches on the skin, which soon becomes denuded of hair. 
The cuticular layer of the skin is slightly inflamed, and vesication 
with exudation occurs, followed by the formation of scaly, brittle 
crusts. The patches appear silvery gray when incrusted, and are 
mostly confined to the head and neck. It is a common disease among 
young cattle in the winter and spring. Very early in the development 
of the patches the hairs split, twist, and break off close to the skin. 
This disease is attended with more or less itching. It is communicable 
to man. 

Tinea favosa is due to another fungus, the Achorion schonleinii. 
This enters the hair follicle and involves the cuticle surrounding it, 
small crusts form which increase in diameter and thickness and then 
become elevated at their margin, forming a cup-shaped scab, the 
favus cup, which gives the disease its distinctive character. The 
number of these cups varies from a few to many hundreds. The hairs 
involved become brittle and broken, fall off with the crusts, leaving 
small bald patches. The crusts are of a pale or sulphur-yellow color 
at first; as they grow older they turn darker, or to a brown color. 
This form of ringworm has a peculiar odor, resembling that of mice 
or musty straw. It is occasionally communicated to cattle by man, 
mice, cats, etc., all being subject to this disease. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 333 

Treatment. — Remove all crusts by washing with soap and water, 
then apply acetic acid, sulphur ointment, tincture of iodine or nitrate 
of mercury ointment once a day. Cleanse the stable and whitewash 
it to destroy the spores scattered by the crusts. 

WOUNDS OF THE SKIN. 

SNAKE BITES. 
[See discussion of this subject in chapter on "Poisons and poisoning."] 

VENOMOUS STINGS. 
[See discussion of this subject in chapter on " Poisons and poisoning."] 

BURNS AND SCALDS. 

This is a rare accident among cattle, yet in cases of lire it may occur. 
The application of heat, whetherdry or moist, unless sufficient instantly 
to destroy the life of a part, is alwaj^s followed by the development of 
vesicles, or blisters, which contain a thin, watery fluid. The blisters 
may be isolated and not very large, or one blister may cover a very 
large surface. When the burn is very severe the skin may be wholly 
devitalized, or the injury may extend into the deeper structures 
beneath the skin. Then sloughs will occur, followed by a contraction 
of the parts in healing; if on a limb, this may render the animal stiff. 
When the burn or scald has been a severe one, the resulting pain is 
great and the constitutional disturbance very marked. 

Treatment. — For a &uj)erficial burn use a mixture of equal parts of 
limewater and linseed oil, or common white paint — white lead ground 
in oil. This will exclude the atmosphere and protect the inflamed 
skin. If it is not convenient to obtain this, chimney soot, flour, or 
starch may be spread on the wound (dry), and covered with cotton 
batting and light bandage if possible. The blisters should be opened 
to let the contained fluid escape, but do not pull off the thin cuticle 
which has been raised by the blister. When the burn is extensive 
and deep sloughing occurs, the parts should be treated, like other 
deep wounds, by poulticing, astringent washes, etc. When the sys- 
tem has sustained much shock, stimulants may be required internally, 
such as 4 ounces of whisky or 2 drams of carbonate of ammonia every 
hour until the animal rallies. When the pain is very great, hypo- 
dermic injections of 6 grains of morphia may be administered every 
six hours. 

Frostbite on any portion of the body may be treated as recommended 
in the article on diseases of the ears. 

EMPHYSEMA (AIR OR GAS UNDER THE SKIN). 

Emphysema of the skin is not a true disease of the skin, but we shall 
mention it as a pathological condition. It is characterized by a dis- 



334 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tentiou of the skin with air or gas contained in the subcutaneous 
areolar tissue. It may depend upon a septic condition of the blood, 
as in anthrax or blackleg; or air may be forced under the skin about 
the head, neck, and shoulders, as a result of rupture of the windpipe. 
It occurs in the region of the chest and shoulders from penetrating 
Avounds of the chest and lung, and occasionally follows i)uncture of 
the rumen, when the escaping gas is retained under the skin. 

Symptoms. — The skin is enormously distended over a greater or 
less liortion of the body; thus any region of the body may lose its 
natural contour and appear like a monstrositj'. There is a peculiar 
crackling beneath the skin when the hand is passed over it, and on 
tapping it with the fingers a resonant drum-like sound is elicited. 

Treatment. — Puncture the distended skin with a clean broad-bladed 
knife and press out the contained air. Further treatment must be 
directed with a view to the removal of the cause. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S. 

[Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S.. V. M. D.] 
LAMINITIS (pounder). 

Laminitis denotes an active inflammation of the sensitive structures 
within the wall of the hoof, which may in severe cases result in sup- 
puration and the loss of one or more claws. Owing to the simplicity 
of the structure of the foot of the ox compared with that of the horse, 
this disease is rarely seen in an acute form, but a mild form, commonly 
called "foot soreness," is not of infrequent occurrence. 

Causes. — Laminitis in cattle may be caused by overfeeding, over- 
heating, continued standing without exercise on a stone or cement 
floor without sufficient bedding, or by driving long distances over 
rough or stony soil. 

Symptoms. — An unwillingness to maintain the standing position; 
the animal persists in lying down. The feet will be found unnaturally 
hot, and frequently some swelling may be noticed above the hoof. 
Pressure upon the hoof with blacksmiths' hoof-pincers causes pain 
and flinching. The general body temperature is increased and the 
breathing accelerated. Ordinarily the animal eats and drinks. When 
it is made to move excessive tenderness of the feet becomes manifest, 
as is shown by reluctance to walk and by the very short, hesitating 
step. Founder affects the hind as well as the fore feet, although the 
front feet are more often exposed. 

Treatment. — Cold packs to the feet, or if the animal can be made to 
stand in a stream of running water, having a soft bottom, this will 
often relieve the inflammation without the necessity of any additional 
treatment. It may be well, however, to give a full dose of Epsom 
salts, 1 to H pounds, followed by half -ounce doses of saltpeter two or 
three times a day. 

SORENESS (foot SORENESS). 

Cattle that are driven over stony roads, especially such as have 
been stabled or pastured on soft ground, soon wear down the soles of 
their feet and become lame from foot soreness. Draft oxen, for this 
reason, require to be shod. When the soreness is excessive it may 
develop into an active inflammation of all the sensitive structures of 
the foot — laminitis, or into a local bruise commonly called a "corn." 

335 



336 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Treatment — Rest, poulticing the feet with moistened clay, followed 
by astringent washes — strong white-oak bark or alum water. 

If the pain and heat last several days, it is probable that pus has 
formed beneath the wall of the hoof. In this case it is necessary to 
cut through the wall, usually at the most prominent part of the sole, 
to allow the accumulation to drain out. The animal should then be 
caused to stand for several hours daily in a tub containing creolin 
solution (3 per cent). When not in the creolin solution the foot should 
be dressed with pine tar and cotton and bandaged with bagging. 

LOSS OF HOOF. 

Cattle sometimes become fastened between planks or otherwise and 
pull off the wall of one or both claws in the effort to extricate them- 
selves. The claws of one or more feet may be shed as the result of 
acute laminitis. 

Treatment. — Wash the bleeding surface with an antiseptic and then 
with an astringent, as a weak solution of alum, then apply a thick 
coating of pine tar; cover this with a layer of oakum or absorbent 
cotton ; apply another coat of tar over this, and then bandage closely 
and firmly. This may remain without disturbance until the new 
growing wall becomes sufficiently strong to sustain the pressure and 
weight of the animal. If, however, at any time it becomes manifest 
by oozing or bad smell that pus is forming under this dressing, the 
bandage should be removed and the suppurating surface freshly 
cleaned and dressed. This may have to be repeated every few days, 
and should be continued so long as there is any pus formation. If 
the loss of hoof is due to suppurative laminitis, the parts denuded of 
the horny covering must be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected with 
carbolic acid, creolin, lysol, or other antiseptic. Then apply a mod- 
erately thick layer of absorbent cotton, and apply the tar and bandage 
over this. After this the antiseptic solution may be poured in at tlie 
top of the dressing daily. It will thus soak in and saturate the dress- 
ing and inflamed tissue. It may become necessarj^ to remove the 
whole of the dressing at daily or longer intervals to give the parts a 
fresh cleaning, and then to reapply it. 

FOUL IN FOOT (FOOT ROT). 

A variety of causes may produce inflammation of the foot between 
the claws or toes. It may be due to overgrowth of the claws and 
inward pressure, as in ingrowing nail of man; or it may be caused by' 
the irritation of stable filth, to impaction and hardening of soil 
between the claws, or to other foreign substances becoming wedged 
in and causing inflammation and softening or ulceration of the skin 
in the interdigital space. Under some conditions several cattle in the 
same herd become affected, and this has led some to think that the 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 837 

disease may be coutagious. Occurrences have been reported where 
foot rot of cattle has appeared within a short time among a large pro- 
portion of the cattle in a farming district. This disease is most fre- 
quently seen in the hind feet, though all four feet may become 
affected . 

Syrnpto)n.s. — The animal is observed to limp in walking. On exami- 
nation of the foot we discover heat, and swelling above the hoof and 
of -the soft parts between the claws which frequentl}^ spreads the 
claws apart to a considerable extent; or the inflammation may have 
advanced to softening and sloughing of the interdigital membrane. 
If the disease is neglected at this stage, deep abscesses may form and 
the pus burrow under the horny wall, or the joint within the hoof 
may become inflamed and the articular attachments destroyed, in 
which case the treatment will become difficult and recovery will be 
very tedious. 

TreatTnent. — In the earlier stages of the disease, before pus burrows 
beneath the horn, a thorough cleansing and an application, of a car- 
bolic-acid solution — 1 ounce to a jjint of water — clean stabling, and 
laxative food will usually remedy the evil. Creolin is an excellent 
remedy at this stage. It should be applied to the suppurating and 
putrefying tissue between the claws in its pure or undiluted state. It 
is best applied by means of a cotton swab on a thin stick. Care must 
be exercised to keep the creolin from contact with the skin about the 
coronary band or heels. If deep sloughing has taken place the car- 
bolic solution or creolin should be used, and a wad of oakum or cot- 
ton smeared with jjine tar should be secured firmly in the cleft. This 
can be done by taking a strip of strong cloth, 2 inches wide, passing 
the middle between the claws, then tying the ends after winding them 
in opposite directions above the hoof. Sometimes warm poulticing 
with flaxseed meal or bran becomes necessary to relieve excessive 
fever and pain. If the pus burrows under the horn, its channel must 
be followed by paring awaj^ the horn until the bottom is readied. 
The after-treatment will be the same as that already recommended. 
If the joint becomes diseased, an amputation of that toe will be the 
quickest and surest method to relieve the suffering of the animal, and 
offers the best chance for an early recover3^ 

ULCERATION OF THE HEEL. 

Occasionally we find ulcers at the junction of the hair with the hoof 
at the heel, which present an elevated, raw, or ragged surface, and 
cause considerable lameness. This is generally due to a bruise of the 
fibrous cushion of the back part of the foot. Subsequent sloughing 
or necrosis ma^^ occur, or pus may form deep down within the wall 
and gain an exit at the margin of the heel. Sometimes large ijieces 
of skin slough from the heel and pastern from no visible cause. This 
8267—04 23 



338 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

condition is caused by an infection with certain microorganisms 
(streptococci, necrosis bacilli) and may be contaj?ious. 

Treatment. — If there is a deep opening, inject carbolic solution once 
a day until it closes. If the ulcer is only superficial, wash with car- 
bolic or creolin solution and apply a mixture of equal parts of blue 
vitriol and alum in dry powder, 

FISSURE OF THE WALL (SPLIT HOOF). 

This is rarely seen among cattle. It may occur in weak walls, in 
heavy-bodied cattle, by stepping on an uneven surface, especially 
when the point of the toe is grown out long. One may find the point 
of the toe broken and the wall split almost up to the hair. 

Treatment.- — The divided sections may be brought into ai^proxima- 
tion and held in place by drilling a small hole from one side into and 
through the other, commencing half an inch back of the fissure on 
each side; then drive a light horseshoe nail through the hole and 
clinch it. Pare the injured claw as short as it will bear. 

INTERDIGITAL FIBROMA. 

Hard, nodular, fibrous tumors sometimes grow in the cleft of the 
foot, and cause in-con venience, lameness, absorption, or ulceration of 
the contiguous parts. 

Treatment. — They should be dissected out, and the wound dressed 
with carbolic-acid lotion and pine tar once a day until healing is 
completed. 

DEFORMITIES. 

Deformities in the feet of cattle usually consist in overgrowth of 
horn, generally due to want of wear in animals which are stabled. 
The hoof may turn inward, outward, or upward, and may give rise to 
lameness, inability to walk, foul foot, etc. Bulls which are continu- 
ally stabled and dairy cows very fi-equeutly have misshapen feet for 
want of an occasional trimming, and this deformity may eventually 
lead to permanent injury. 

Treatment. — Cut the superabundant growth of horn down with saw, 
knife, or rasp, until tlie foot assumes its natural form. 

PRICKS AND WOUNDS. 

If an animal suffers with a penetrating wound from prick of fork or 
nail, the orifice of the wound should be enlarged to permit a free dis- 
charge of pus; then soak the foot in a creolin solution ('3 per cent) 
in a tub, or api)ly a flaxseed poultice, changing it three times a day 
until the fever has abated. The foot should be kept bandaged and 
dressed with pine tar and oakum, and the animal must be kept on a 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 339 

clean floor until the wound is closed and all or nearly all lameness 
has disappeared. 

If an animal is cut in the foot with barbed wire, i)iece of glass, or 
any other substance, dress the wound, after proper cleansing, with 
carbolic-acid solution, 1 ounce to 20 of water. If any uneven edges 
of horn or skin or lacerated flesh project, trim them ofl', and in all 
cases when it can be done a tarred bandage should be applied. This 
will serve to sustain the cut surfaces in their place, exclude dirt, and 
protect against flies, maggots, etc. 

When the wound has extended into a joint, surgical treatment may 
become necessary, which will require the services of an educated 
veterinarian. 

Occasionally an animal becomes fastened by the foot in some crevice 
and sustains severe bruising, wrenching, or fracture of some part of 
the foot. In such cases cold-water packs to the injured member will 
be of service until the fever and swelling disappear. Afterwards 
allow the animal rest until the usefulness of the foot is restored. 
Sometimes such an accident, causing fracture, renders necessary 
plaster bandages or amputation. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS APPENDAGES. 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S. 
[Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.] 

For the sake of gaining a clear comprehension of the diseases of the 
eye it becomes necessary to review the anatomy of this important 
organ. The essential organ of vision, or globe of the eye, will be first 
described, then the receptacle of this globe or orbital cavity, the mns- 
cles that move it, the protective membranes, or ej^elids, the membrana 
nictitans, or accessory eyelids, and, lastly, the lachrymal apparatus. 

The globe, or hall, of the eye approaches the spherical in form. On 
closer inspection, however, it will appear to be made up of two com- 
bined portions from spheres of different sizes. The posterior portion, 
forming about five-sixths of the ball, is a sphere of comparatively 
kirge size with a small segment cut ofl' it in front, and at this point 
there is applied to it the anterior portion, which, being a segment of 
a smaller sphere, projects at the front of the ball with a greater con- 
vexity than the i)Osterior portion. 

The eyeball consists of concentrically arranged coats and of refract- 
ing media inclosed within these coats. The coats are three in num- 
ber, namely, (1) an external protective tunic made up of the sclerotic 
and cornea; (2) a middle vascular and pigmentary tunic, the choroid; 
(;]) an internal nervous layer, the retina. The sclerotic is the white, 
opaque part of the outer tunic, of which it forms about the posterior 
five-sixths, being coextensive with the larger sijhere alread}^ men- 
tioned. The»eornea forms the remaining one-sixth of the outer tunic, 
being coextensive with the segment of the smaller sphere. It is dis- 
1 inguished from the sclerotic by being colorless and transparent. The 
clioroid coat Avill be recognized as the black layer lying subjacent to 
tlie sclerotic. It does not line the cornea, but terminates behind the 
line of junction of that coat with the sclerotic by a thickened edge — 
the ciliary processes. At the line of junction of tlie sclerotic and 
cornea the iris passes across the interior of the eye. This (which may 
be viewed as a dependency of the choroid) is a muscular curtain per- 
forated by an aperture termed the pupil. Tlie retina will be recog- 
nized as a delicate glassy layer, lining the greater part of the choroid. 

The refracting media of the eye are three in number, namely, (1) 
the aqueous humor, a wat^iry fluid inclosed in a chamber behind the 
cornea ; (2) the crystalline lens and its capsule, a transparent, soft solid 
340 



DISEASES OF THE EYE, ETC. 341 

of a biconvex form, aiul placed behind the iris; (3) the vitreous humor, 
a transparent material with a consistence like thin jelly, and occupy- 
ing- as much of the interior of the eye as is subjacent to the choroid. 

The sclerotic is a strong, opaque, fibrous membrane, which, in a 
great measure, maintains the form of the eyeball and protects the 
more delicate structures within it. Its anterior portion, which is cov- 
ered by the ocular conjunctiva, is commonl}^ known as the "white of 
the eye." In form it is bell-shaped, and the optic nerve pierces it 
behind like a handle, the perforation being a little to its inner side. 
In front the rim of the bell becomes continuous with the cornea. The 
outer surface of the membrane receives the insertion of the muscles 
of the eyeball. The coat is thickest over the posterior part of the eye- 
ball, and is thinnest a little behind its junction with the cornea. 

The cornea is the anterior transparent portion of the outer coat of 
the eyeball. It may be viewed as a part of the sclerotic specially 
modified to permit the passage of light into the interior of the eye. 
Its outline is elliptical, approaching the circular, and its greatest 
diameter is transverse. At its periphery it joins the sclerotic by con- 
tinuity of tissue, and as the edge of the cornea is slightly beveled and 
has the fibrous sclerotic carried for a 1 ttle distance forward on its 
outward surface, the cornea is generally said to be fitted into the scle- 
rotic like a watch glass into its rim. The venous canal of Schlemm 
runs circularly around the eyeball at the line of junction of the scle- 
rotic and cornea. The anterior surface of the cornea is exquisitel}^ 
smooth, and is kept moist bj^ the lachrymal secretion. Its posterior 
surface forms the anterior boundary of the chamber in which the 
aqueous humor is contained. The cornea is of uniform thickness and 
is of a dense, almost horny, consistence. Save a few capillary loops 
of blood vessels at its margin the cornea is without vessels. Its struc- 
ture is comprised of five di>tinct layers. 

The aqueous humor occupies a chamber which is bounded in front 
l)y the posterior surface of the cornea and behind by the capsule and 
suspensory ligament of the lens and by the ends of the ciliary proc- 
esses. It is across this chamber that the iris extends. The aqueous 
humor is composed of water, with a small proportion of common salt 
in solution. 

The iris is a muscular, pigmented curtain extending across the inte- 
rior of the eye and having about its center an aperture termed the 
pupil. By variations in the size of this aperture the amount of light 
transmitted to the retina is regulated. It varies somewhat in color, 
but is most frequently of a yellowish brown tint. Its anterior face is 
bathed by the aqueous humor. The greater part of the posterior sur- 
face is in contact with the capsule of the lens and glides on it during 
the movements of the curtain. The circumferential border is attached 
within the junction of the sclerotic and cornea. The iuner border 
circumscribes the pupil, which varies in outline according to its size. 



342 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

When much contracted the pupil is a very elongated ellipse, the long 
axis of which is in the line joining the nasal and temporal angles of 
the eyelids. It contains muscular tissue, which, by contracting or 
relaxing, lessens or dilates the pupillary opening. 

The choroid coat is a bell-shaped, dark membrane which lines the 
sclerotic. Its outer surface has a shaggy appearance, due to the tunica 
fusca, which unites the two coats. Between the two the ciliary ves- 
sels and nerves pass forward. Behind it is pierced by the optic nerve ; 
in front it is continued as the ciliary processes, which form, as it were, 
the rim of the bell. The ciliary jirocesses form a fringe around the 
slightly inverted rim of the choroid. 

The retina is the most delicate of the coats of the eyeball. It is 
formed by the expansion of the optic nerve on the inner surface of 
the choroid, and, like that coat, it is bell-shaped. Its inner surface 
is molded on the vitreous humor. The nervous structures of the 
retina terminate at a wavy line, the ora serrata, behind the ciliary proc- 
esses. Ten distinct layers are described as composing the thickness 
of the retina. 

The lens is situated behind the pupil, and is contained within a cap- 
sule of its own. 

The capsule is a close-fitting, firm, transparent membrane. The 
anterior surface forms the posterior boundary of the cavity in which 
the aqueous humor is contained, and the iris in its movement glides 
on it. The posterior surface is in contact with the vitreous humor. 

The vitreous humor occupies four- fifths of the interior of the eye- 
ball. It is globular in form, with a depression in front for the lodg- 
ment of the lens. It is colorless, transparent, and of a consistency 
like thin jelly. It is enveloped by a delicate capsule — the hyaloid 
membrane — which is connected in front Avith the suspensory ligament 
of the lens, and ends by joining the capsule behind the lens. 

The orbital cavity^ situated at the side of the head, is circumscribed 
by a bony margin; posteriorly, howevei', there are no bony walls, and 
the cavity is confounded with the depression above and behind the 
orbit — the temporal fossa, A fibrous membrane completes this cavity 
and keeps it distinct from the teuq^oral fossa. This membrane — the 
ocular slieatli or periorbita — is attached posteriorly around the open- 
ing in the back part of the orbital cavity (the orbital liiatus) and ante- 
riorly to its inner face; then it becomes prolonged beyond the margin 
to form the fibrous membrane of the eyelids. The orbital cavity has 
the form, when complete, of a regular hollow cone, open at its base and 
closed at the apex. The opening of this cone is directed forward, 
downward, and outward. Independently of the globe of the eye, this 
cavity lodges the muscles that move it, tlie membrana nictitans, and 
the lachrymal gland. 

The muscles of the eye are seven in number — one retractor, four 
straight, and two oblique. The retractor oculi envelops the optic 



DISEASES OF THE EYE, ETC. 343 

nerve between the brain and the ball of the eye, and becomes attached 
upon the external face of the sclerotic tunic. When this muscle con- 
tracts, it draws the globe back into the orbit, away from the light. 
The superior, inferior, external, and internal recti or straight muscles 
are attached to the back part of the orbital sheath, and spread forward 
in four bundles over the globe of the eye, where they become inserted 
by a fibrous expansion into the sclerotic at the margin of the cornea. 
When they act singly they turn the globe either upward, downward, 
inward, or outward. The great oblique, hy its action, pivots the eye 
inward and upward in the orbit. The small oblique turns the eye 
outward and downward. 

The eyelids are two movable curtains, superior and inferior, which 
cover and protect the eye in front. They are attached to the circum- 
ference of the orbit, and have a convex external face formed b^' the 
skin and a concave internal face molded on the anterior surface of 
the ej'e, and are lined by the conjunctiva, which is reflected above and 
below on the ej^eball. The border of each lid is slightly beveled on the 
inner side, and shows the openings of the Meibomian glands. These 
glands secrete an unctuous fluid, which is thrown out on the border 
of the lids, the function of which is to facilitate their movements and 
enable them to retain the tears in the ocular cavity. The eyelid is 
composed of a fibrous inner membrane ending in a stiff arch near the 
border, a mu-cle to close the lid, another to open it, the skin externally, 
and the conjunctival mucous membrane internally. The border of 
each lid is covered and p otected by long hairs, to prevent floating 
particles of matter in the atmosphere gaining entrance to the eye. 

The inemhrana nictitans, which is also named the third eyelid, wink- 
ing ej'elid, haw, etc., is placed at the inner angle of the eye, whence 
it extends over the eyeball to relieve it from foreign bodies which may 
fall upon it. It has for its framework a fibro-cartilage, irregular in 
shape, thick, and nearly prismatic at its base, and thin anteriorly 
where it is covered by the conjunctiva; behind, it is loosely attached 
to a fatty cushion. 

The lachrymal gland is situated between the orbital process and the 
upper part of the ej^eball. It secretes the tears destined to lubricate 
the anterior surface of the eye. This fluid escapes upon the organ at 
the outer angle of the lids, and is carried between them and the eye- 
ball toward the inner angle. 

The caruncula lachrymalis is a small round body, f requentl}' entirely 
or partially black, situated in the inner angle of the eye, and is designed 
to direct the tears toward the puncta lachrymalia. 

The puncta lachrymalia are two little openings, situated one in each 
eyelid, a short distance from the inner corner, which admit the tears 
into the lachrymal ducts leading to the lachrymal canal, from whence 
they are emi3tied into the nasal passages. 



344 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

CONJUNCTIVITIS (SIMPLE OPHTHALMIA). 

This is an inflammation of the conjunctival mucous membrane of the 
eyeball and lids; in severe cases the deeper coats of the eye become 
involved, seriously eomplicatinji' the attack. 

Causes. — It may result from a bruise of the ej^elid; from the intro- 
duction of foreign matters into the eye, such as chaff, hayseed, dust, 
gnats, etc. ; from exposure to cold; poisonous or irritating vapors aris- 
ing from filthiness of stable. Dust, cinders, or sand blown into the 
eyes during transportation frequently induce conjunctivitis. 

Sijmptonts. — A profuse flow of tears, closure of the eyelids from 
intolerance of light, retraction of the eyeball and corresponding pro- 
trusion of the haw, disinclination to move, diminution of milk secre- 
tion, etc. On parting the lids the lining membrane is found injected 
with an excess of blood, giving to it a red and swollen appearance; 
the sclerotic, or white of the eye, is bloodshot and the cornea may be 
cloudy. If the disease advances, keratitis results, with its train of 
unfavorable symptoms. 

Treatment. — Careful examination should be made to discover par- 
ticles of chaff, etc., which may have lodged in the eye, and upon the 
discovery of such a cause prompt removal is indicated. This may be 
accomplished by flushing the eye with Avarm water by means of a 
sja'inge, or, if the foreign substance is adherent to the eyeball or lid, it 
may be scooped out with the handle of a teaspoon or some other blunt 
instrument. To relieve the congestion and local irritation, a wash 
composed of boracic acid in freshly boiled water, 20 grains to the 
ounce, or acetate of zinc, 5 grains to the ounce of jiure soft water, 
may be used, to which may be added 20 drojjs of laudanum. A 
few drops of this should be placed in the eye with a camel's-hair pen- 
cil or soft feather three or four times daily. The animal should be 
Ijlaced in a cool, darkened stable, and then a cloth folded into several 
thicknesses should be fastened to the horns in such a manner as to 
reach below the eyes. This should be kept wet with cold water dur- 
ing the day and removed at night. If there is much fever and con- 
stitutional disturbance it becomes advisable to administer 1 pound of 
Epsom salts dissolved in 1 quart of water. 

INFECTIOUS CATARRHAL CONJUNCTIVITIS (SPECIFIC OPHTHALMIA). 

This generally appears in an enzootic or epizootic form, and affects 
quite a number in the herd. It is distinctly a contagious disease and 
may be brought into a previously healthy herd by one animal with 
sore eyes. It may continue in a herd for a season or for several years, 
affecting all newly purchased animals. It is seldom seen in the win- 
ter months. It affects old and young animals alike. 

Sij))ipto))is. — This form of catarrhal conjunctivitis is characterized 
chiefly by a mucopurulent discharge from the eyes, an intense degree 



DISEASES OF THE EYE, ETC. 345" 

of inflam Illation of the mucous membrane, accompanied by swelling 
of the eyelids and an early opacity of the cornea. The flow of tears 
is mixed with pus, sometimes streaked with blood, and the skin of the 
face is kept moist and soiled. The eyes are kept continually closed. 
The implication of the cornea in the disease frequently blinds the 
animal for a time, and occasionally suppurative keratitis, ulcers of 
the cornea, or staphyloma supervene. The attack is marked from the 
onset by fever, partial loss of appetite, partial loss of milk, suspended 
rumination, and separation from the herd. 

Treatment. — The animal should be housed in a cool, dark stable, 
supplied with plenty of fresh water to drink and soft succulent food. 
Administer 1 pound of Epsom salts — if a very large animal, use 1^ 
pounds — dissolved in 2 or 3 pints of water. For an eyewash take 
boracic acid, 1 dram, and pour 4 ounces of boiling water over it. Use 
this wash as often as convenient, applying it directly to the eye. In 
the majority of cases improvement becomes manifest in a few days, 
and the eye will become clear and free from inflammation in ten daj's 
or two weeks. Where the disease develops ulceration of the cornea, 
or well-marked deep-seated keratitis, the treatment recommended for 
those conditions should be adopted. 

Prevention. — Whenever this affection appears in a herd all the 
unaffected animals sliould be moved to another locality — that is, to 
fields which possess a different character of soil and feed. The water 
should also be changed, especially if they have been obtaining their 
drinking water from a stagnant pond. 

KERATITIS (CORNEITIS). 

This is an inflammation of the cornea propei-, although the sclerotica 
at the corneal border becomes involved to some extent. It may be 
divided into diffuse and suppurative. 

Causes. — The cornea constitutes the most i^rorainent portion of the 
eyeball, hence it is subject to a variety of injuries — scratches, pricks, 
contusions, lacerations, etc. Inflammation of the cornea may also be 
due to the extension of catarrhal conjunctivitis or intraocular dis- 
ease, and it may occasionally occur without any perceptible cause. 

Symptoms. — Diffuse keratitis is characterized by an exudation into 
and an opacity of the cornea. The swelling of the anterior part of 
the eyeball may be of ah irregular form, in points resembling small 
bladders, or it. may commence at the periphery of the cornea by an 
abrupt thickening, which gradually diminishes as it approaches the 
center. If the w^hole cornea is affected it has a uniform gray or gray- 
ish white appearance. The flow of tears is not so marked as in con- 
junctivitis, nor is the suffering so acute, though both conditions often 
exist together. Both eyes usually' become affected, unless it is due to 
an external injury. 

In favorable cases the exudate within the cornea begins to disappear 



346 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

within a week or ten days, the eye becomes clearer, and regains its 
transparency, until it eventually is fully restored. In unfavorable 
cases blood vessels form and are seen to traverse the affected part from 
periphery to center, vision becomes entirely lost, and permanent 
opacitj'^ {albugo or leucoma) remains. When it arises from constitu- 
tional causes recurrence is frequent, leaving the corneal membrane 
more cloudy after each attack, until the sight is permanently lost. 

Suppurative keratitis may be a sequel of diffuse keratitis; more 
commonly, however, it abruptly becomes manifest by a raised swelling 
on or near the center of the cornea that very soon assumes a yellow, 
turbid color, while the periphery of the swelling fades into an opaque 
ring. Suppurative keratitis is seldom noticed for the first daj' or two — 
not until distinct pus formation has occurred. When it is the result 
of diffuse keratitis, ulceration and the escape of the contained pus is 
inevitable; otherwise the pus maj^ be absorbed. When the deeper 
membranes covering the anterior chamber of the eye become involved, 
the contents of this chamber may be evacuated and the sight perma- 
nently' lost. 

Treatment. — Place the animal in a darkened stable, give green or 
sloppy food, and administer 4 ounces of Glauber's salts (sulphate of 
soda) dissolved in a quart of water once a day. If the animal is 
debilitated a tablespoonful of tonic powder should be mixed with the 
feed three times a day. This may be composed of equal parts by 
weight of powdered copperas (sulphate of iron), gentian, and ginger. 
As an application for the eye nitrate of silver, 3 grains to the ounce 
of soft water, with the addition of 1 grain sulphate of morphia, may 
be used several times a day. If ulceration occurs, it is well to dust 
powdered calomel into the eye twice daily, or to the eyelids apply a 
salve of yellow oxide of mercury, 5 per cent in lanolin. Some of this 
may go onto the cornea and beneath the lids. Apply twice daily. 
(See " Ulcers of the cornea.") 

To remove opacity, after the inflammation has subsided, apply a 
few drops of the following solution twice a day: Iodide of potassium, 
15 grains; tincture sanguinaria, 20 drops; distilled water, 2 ounces; 
mix. 

Sometimes keratitis exists in a herd as a transmissible disease, 
spreading like infectious conjunctivitis. Calomel, applied to the eye, 
is especially useful in such cases. 

ULCERS OF THE CORNEA. 

An ulcer comes from erosion or is the consequence of the bursting 
of a small abscess, which may have formed beneath the delicate layer 
of the conjunctiva, continued over the cornea; or, in the very sub- 
stance of the cornea itself, after violent keratitis, or catarrhal con- 
junctivitis. At other times the ulcer is produced by bruises, scratches, 
and other direct injury of the cornea. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE, ETC. 347 

Symptoms. — The ulcer is generally at first of a pale gray color, with 
its edges high and irregular, discharges instead of pus an acrid 
watery substance, and has a tendency to spread widely and deeply. 
If it spreads superficially upon the cornea, the transparency of this 
membrane is lost; if it proceeds deeply and penetrates the anterior 
chamber of the aqueous humor, this fluid escapes, tlie iria may pro- 
lapse, and the lens and the vitreous humor become expelled, thus pro- 
ducing a destruction of the whole organ. 

Treatment. — It is of the greatest importance, as soon as an ulcer 
appears upon the cornea, to prevent its growing larger. The corrod- 
ing process must be converted into a healthy one. For this purpose 
nothing is more reliable than the use of solid nitrate of silver. A 
stick of nitrate of silver should be scraped to a point; the animal's 
head should be firmly secured; an assistant should part the lids; if 
necessary the haw must be secured within the corner of the eye and 
then all parts of the ulcer should be lightly touched with the silver. 
After waiting a few minutes the eye should be thoroughly washed out 
with a very weak solution of common salt. This operation generally 
has to be repeated once more at the end of three or four days. If 
healthy action succeeds, the ulcer assumes a delicate fleshy tint, and 
the former redness around the ulcer disappears in proportion as the 
ulcer heals. 

In superficial abrasions of the cornea, where there is no distinct 
excavation, this caustic treatment is not needed. The eye should be 
bathed with sulphate of zinc, 30 grains to half a pint of soft water, 
several times a day, and protected against exposure to cold air and 
sunlight. Excessive ulceration sometimes assumes the form of fun- 
gous excrescence upon the cornea, appearing to derive its nourish- 
ment fi'om loops of blood vessels of the conjunctiva. Under these 
circumstances the fungoid mass must be cut away, and the wound 
cauterized with the nitrate of silver, or else the eye will soon be 
destroyed. When ulcers of the cornea appear indolent, with a tend- 
ency to slough, in addition to the treatment already prescribed, tonic 
powders should be given twice a day mixed with the feed; powdered 
copperas, gentian, and ginger, equal parts by weight. Dose, one 
tablespoonful. 

STAPHYLOMA. 

This is a disease of the ej^eball, in which the cornea loses its trans- 
parency, rises above the level of the ej'e, and even projects beyond the 
ej'elids in the form of an elongated, whitish, or pearl-colored tumor, 
which is sometimes smooth, at other times uneven. 

Causes. — Inflammation is the only known cause, although it may not 
occur immediately; it frequently follows catarrhal conjunctivitis and 
keratitis as a sequela. 

Treatment. — In a few cases restoration of sight may be effected by 



348 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

puncturing the projecting tumor, and treating it afterwards with nitrate 
of silver in the same manner as prescribed for ulceration of the cor- 
nea. In some cases spontaneous rupture has occurred, and healing 
without any treatment at all. 

CATARACT. 

In cataract the crystalline lens becomes opaque and loses its trans- 
parency, the power of refraction is lost — the animal can not see. 

Causes. — Cataract generally arises from a diminution (atrophy) or 
other change in the nutrition of the lens; it may occur as a result of 
inflammation of the deep structures of the eye. Cataract may be sim- 
ple, or complicated with amaurosis, adhesions, etc. 

Symptoms. — It is known by the whiteness or loss of transparency 
of the lens, although the pupil dilates and contracts. Sight may be 
totally lost; however, evidence is usually manifested that the animal 
distinguishes light when brought out of a darkened stable. For the 
most part the formation of cataract takes place slowly, the cases in 
which it originates very quickly being but few. 

Treatment. — There is only one method for the treatment of cata- 
ract — a surgical operation for the removal of the lens; but this is not 
advisable, for the sight can not be perfectly restored, and objects 
would be seen imperfectly without the aid of glasses. 

AMAUROSIS. 

A paralysis of the nerve of sight or the expansion of the retina. 

Causes. — This is the result of concussion from a blow upon the fore- 
head, fracture of bone over the eye (causing downward i^ressure), rheu- 
matic inflammation of the optic nerve, or from extension of deep 
inflammation of the eye involving the retina. It sometimes occurs as 
the result of excessive loss of blood or of great debility. 

Symptoms. — In this disease seldom any observation is made until 
the animal in its gait and by its action indicates blindness. Gener- 
ally both eyes are affected. The ej'eball remains clear, and the pupil 
permanently dilated. No response to light is manifested. 

Treatment. — If due to debility, loss of blood, or associated with 
rheumatism, general blood tonics may be given in the feed, namely, 
powderc 1 sulphate of iron, 1 dram; gentian, 2 drams; nux vomica, 
one-half dram; to be given twice a day. In cases of rheumatism, 
one-half ounce of saltpeter may be added. 

FILARIA OCULI (WORM IN THE EYE). 

Filaria oculi (provisionally taken as the larva of F. cervina). — This 
IB a small white worm, and is found in the eye, swimming in the 
aqueous fluid in tlie anterior chamber. It may be apparently harm- 
less for a long time, but will eventually induce keratitis with inflam- 
matory exudations. 

Treatment. — Tl\e coi-nea may be punctured at its upper and outer 



DISEASES UE THE EYE, ETC. 349 

margin, and the worm squeezed out with the aqueous humor. The 
latter will be formed again. This operation will result disastrously 
unless the greatest care and skill are employed. 

CORNEAL DERMATOMA (HAIRY TUMOR ON THE EYEBALL). 

* 

In a few instances this has been seen as a congenital growth. The 
tumor arises from the cornea or the sclerotic, covered by its respective 
membrane, with a growth of hair upon its surface. These tumors may 
be quite prominent or flattened, and are dark in color; the hair may 
protrude between the eyelids, giving the animal the appearance of 
having a double ej'elid. 

Treatment. — A surgical operation becomes necessary for their re- 
moval — one requiring a skilled operator. 

STRABISMUS (SQUINTING). 

This is a very rare affection among cattle. Strabismus may be 
either single or double — affecting one eye or both. It is due to a 
paralysis, or a weakening of one of the straight muscles of the eye- 
ball. Generally it is a congenital defect, and the squinting is towai'd 
the nose — strabismus convergens. It is best not to attempt to remedy 
the defect, as the risk in an operation is greater than the chances of 
success warrant. 

PTERYGIUM. 

This term is applied to a fleshy-colored membrane, triangular in 
form, which most frequently grows from the inner angle of the eye 
and extends over the cornea, thus interfering with vision. It may 
grow from the outer angle, or even from the superior or inferior hem- 
isphere of the ej^eball. The figure is invariably that of a triangle, 
with its base on the white of the e^^e, and its apex more or less 
advanced over the cornea towai-d its center. 

The distinguishing characteristics are the constancy of tlie triangu- 
lar form, and the facility with Avhich the whole of it may be taken 
hold of with a pair of forceps and raised into a fold on the cornea. 
Every other kind of excrescence attached to this membrane continues 
firmly adherent to it, and can not be folded and raised from the sur- 
face of the cornea in any manner whatever. 

Treatment. — Raise the fold and dissect it away from all points of 
attachment. 

TRICHIASIS (INVERSION OF THE EYELASHES). 

In the simplest form the eyelashes bend inwardl}', touching the 
eyeball, causing irritation and simple conjunctivitis. It may be also 
associated with entropion. 

Treatment. — The offending ej^elashes should be cut off or pulled 
out. In cases where the natural growth of the eyelashes is directed 
inward an operation similar to that for entropion becomes necessary. 



350 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ENTROPION (inversion OP THE EYELID). 

In inversion of the eyelid the eyelashes soon irritate the anterior 
face of the cornea and produce more or less inflammation and opacity. 
The inversion may be due to the growth of a tumor within or without 
the lid, to abscess, laceration, or injifry, causing the lid to lose its 
natural conformity to the eyeball, ulcerations, etc. Surgical inter- 
ference, in either case, becomes necessary to restore the lid to its 
natural direction. 

ECTROPION (E VERSION OF THE EYELID). 

This serves to injure the eye by permitting dust and other foreign 
substances to gain admission to the eye, and interferes with the 
natural removal of such substances. 

Treatment. — A delicate surgical operation — the removal of an ellip- 
tic section of the palpsebral conjunctiva — may remedy the defect. 

TUMORS OF THE EYELIDS. 

Occasionally tumors form upon or within the substance of the ej^e- 
lid. These may be of a fibroid nature, and arise from the follicles of the 
hair as sebaceous tumors, or may be in the form of an abscess. In debili- 
tating diseases the lids sometimes become swollen and puffy, a condi- 
tion which might possibly be taken for the growth of a tumor. This 
generally disappears with the improvement of the health of the animal. 
Warts not uncommonly appear on or about the eyelids of cattle. 

Treatment. — The removal of a tumor in the vicinity of so delicate 
an organ as the eye should not be attempted by anyone not qualified 
for the operation. 

LACERATION OF THE EYELID. 

This accident is not uncommon where cattle are fenced in by barbed 
wire; an animal may be caught under the eyelid by the horn of another; 
it may occur in the stable by means of a projecting nail or splinter of 
wood. 

Treatment. — The edges of the wound should be brought together 
closely and correctly, by means of pins pushed through ver^'^ neai-ly 
the whole thickness of the lid, extending through each lip of th«^ torn 
part; then a waxed silk or linen thread must be wound over eacli end 
of the pin, crossing the torn line in the form of the figure 8 (PI. XXVIII, 
fig. 0); the pins should be placed about three-eighths of an inch apart. 
The projecting ends of the pins should be cut off close to the ligature, 
and the parts kept anointed with vaseline, to which has been added 5 
per cent of creolin. In place of a pin suture, silver wire, catgut, or 
strong linen thread may be used in the way of an ordinary suture. 

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EYE. 

Splinters of wood, hedge thorns, pieces of cornstalk or leaves, stems 
of hay or straw, twigs of trees, or weeds may penetrate into the eye. 



DISEASES OB' THE EYE, ETC. 351 

break off and remain, causing inflammation, blindness, abscess, etc. 
These substances may penetrate the eyeball, but more frequently they 
glide off and enter between the eye and the ocular sheath. 

Treatment. — Their removal becomes often a very difficult task, from 
the fact that the organ is so extremely sensitive, and the retracting 
power so strong as to necessitate casting the animal, or even the 
administration of sufficient chloroform to render it completely insen- 
sible. The removal, however, is of paramount importance, and the 
after treatment depends upon the extent and location of the injury — 
cold water compress over the injured eye, the application of mild 
astringent and cooling washes, such as acetate or sulphate of zinc, 5 
grains to the ounce of water. When there is extreme suffering from 
pain a 5 per cent solution of atropia or morphia, 5 grains to the ounce 
of water, may be dropped into the eye, alternating with the cooling 
wash several times a clay. When abscesses form within the orbit a 
free opening must be maintained for the discharge of pus. In deep 
penetrating wounds of the eye there is a great tendency to the forma- 
tion of a fungus growth, which often necessitates the enucleation of 
the whole eyeball. 

ORBITAL AND PERIORBITAL ABSCESS. 

Orbital abscess may form outside of the globe and within the orbital 
sheath, as the result of a previous wound of the parts, or from frac- 
ture of the bony orbit, etc. Periorbital abscess commences outside of 
the ocular sheath, beneath the periosteal membrane covering the bone, 
and is usually the I'esult of a diseased or fractured bone which enters 
into the formation of the orbital cavity, 

SyvfiptoTRs. — Orbital abscess is manifested by a pushing forward of 
theej'eball (exophthalmos), a swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids. 
The bulging out of the eye is in proportion to the size of the abscess; 
the movement of the eye is fixed, due to the painfulness of any volun- 
tary movement of the eyeball. Periorbital abscess generally pushes 
the eye to one side; otherwise the symptoms are similar to the forego- 
ing. The pain genei'ally is very great; paralysis of the nerve of sight 
may occur, and death may be caused by the abscess extending to the 
brain. 

Treatment. — The treatment for either orbital or periorbital abscess 
is the same as that for abscess occurring in any other part of the 
body — a free opening for the escape of imprisoned pus. This should 
be made as soon as the true nature of the disease is recognized. 
Afterwards antiseptic injections may be needed to stimulate healthy 
granulation and to prevent septic infection of the ocular membranes. 
For this purpose a saturated solution of boracic acid may be used, or 
listerine 1 part to 10 of water. When the fever runs high, Glauber's 
salts (sulphate of soda) may be given in -i-ounce doses once a day. 
The animal should be kept in a darkened stable, on soft or green feed. 



352 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

FRACTURE OF THE ORBIT. 

This accident occasionally occurs among belligerent animals, or as 
the result of blows delivered by brutal attendants. The orbital process 
above the eye may be entirely crushed in, pressing down upon the eye- 
ball. In such an event tlie depressed bone should be elevated into its 
proper place, and if it fails to unite it may have to be removed with saw 
or chisel. The margin of the orbit may be crushed at any point and 
cause periorbital abscess, or necrosis may result from the presence of a 
splinter of bone or the excessive destruction of bone. In all cases of 
fracture the animal should be taken out of tlie herd and kept by itself 
until the injured part heals. 

NECROSIS OF THE BONY ORBIT. 

As the result of fi'acture of the margin of the orbit a part of the 
injured bone may become necrosed (dead), and periostitis and perior- 
bital abscess Avill follow as a consequence. The discovery of this dis- 
ease will at first resemble abscess, but on making an examination with 
a probe after the abscess is open we will find the bone rough and 
brittle at the point of disease. The discharge will have a peculiar 
fetid odor, and is often mixed with blood. 

Treatineni. — The affected bone must be laid bare and all diseased por- 
tions removed by scraping, or if necessary with saw or chisel, disre- 
garding the extent of the injury or the size of the wound necessarj^ to 
be inflicted. A large portion of the bony orbit may be removed with- 
out serious danger to the eye, provided the eyeball itself has not been 
l^reviously affected by the disease or involved in the original injury, 

TUMORS OF THE ORBIT. 

A fungous tumor of the eyeball or orbit occasionally appears, which 
is designated /u/(^?/.s' lumnaiodes. This may arise without any appre- 
ciable cause, or as the result of a wound. It frequently commences 
within the eyeball as a small, red mass, eventually bursts through, and 
pushes its way outside of the orbit as a large, dark-red mass, bleed- 
ing at the slightest touch. It has a peculiar fetid odor, and early in 
its appearance destroys sight, involving all the contents of the orbit, 
not infrequently the bony wall itself. 

Unless the tumor is totally removed in its early stage of growth, 
together with the eyeball, the disease will eventually cause enuiciation 
and death of the animal. The enucleat ion of tlie eyeball should not be 
undei'taken by anyone unacquainted with the anatomical structures 
involved in such an operation. When the operation is performed 
early enough the result is generally satisfactory. 

Bony tumors of the orbit are occasionally present in cattle, the result 
of bruises, fractures, etc. Tliej' may encroach upon the contents of 
the orbit, causing paralysis of the optic nerve — the condition known 



DISEASES OF THE EYE, ETC. 353 

Hs amaurosis — or by pressui'e upon the i)osterior surface of the eyeball 
force it forward, or produce atrophy (shrinking). They may displace 
the eye in any direction, with or without disturbing vision. 

Fibrous tumors growing within the orbit will produce symptoms 
similar to those of bony tumors. 

Treatment. — When the outlines of the tumor, whether fungoid, bony, 
or fibrous, can be detected, an operation for its removal should be 
undertaken as soon as the sight of the eye is in any manner disturbed. 

DISLOCATION OF THE EYEBALL. 

The eyeball may be torn out of its socket by the horns of another 
animal in a fight, or it may be crowded out Avith the blunt end of a 
club, cane, or probe in the hands of a brutal attendant. 

Treatment. — When the optic nerve is not lacerated and the retractor 
muscles at the back of the eye are intact, an attempt at reduction is 
advisable. This, however, must follow veiy soon after the injury — 
before swelling takes place. Divide the outer corner of the eyelid to 
enlarge the orifice, then by f)ressure with the fingers of both hands 
placed u]3on the sides of the eye the ball may be put back into its 
place. Apply a firm compress over the injured eye and keep it con- 
stantly wet with cold water containing 1 dram of sugar of lead to each 
quart. 

If the attempt at reduction i^roves unsuccessful the artery at the 
back of the eye should be ligated, and then the whole mass cut off as 
deep within the oi-bit as possible. The orbital cavity should be packed 
daily with fresh absorbent cotton after washing it out with a 3 per 
cent solution of carbolic acid or 10 per cent dilution of creolin. 

INFLAMMATION AND ENLARGEMENT OP THE HAW. 

The haw, or membrana nictitans, is subject to inflammation and 
swelling from the extension of conjunctivitis, or direct injury by for- 
eign substances. It presents a red, swollen appearance, accompanied 
by considerable pain and a j)rofuse flow of tears. A slight scarifica- 
tion with a sharp kn.fe and the application of a cooling lotion, such 
as recommended for conjunctivitis, will soon reduce the swelling and 
restore it to its normal function. 

There is, however, a tendency for an inflammation of this membrane 
to take on a chronic character, which ma}^ eventually result in a per- 
manent enlargement, resembling a tumor. When it attains sufficient 
size to protrude itself permanently over the eye, or project between 
the lids so as to obstruct the sight, its removal may become necessary. 
A threaded needle is passed through the body of the enlarged mass, by 
which the membrane is drawn out as far as possible, then with a blunt 
pair of scissors it may be dissected away from its attachments. The 
eye is afterwards treated with simple cooling lotions. 

8567—04 23 



DISEASES OF THE EAR 

By M. R. Trumbower, D. V. S. 

[Revised in 1804 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.] 

Diseases of the ears of cattle are not very common, for the reasons, 
probably, that they are not subjected to the brutality of drivers so 
much as horses and that the horns to a great extent protect them 
against external violence. 

OTITIS (inflammation OF THE INTERNAL EAR). 

/ Inflammation of the deep part of the ear is often difficult to recog- 
nize in cattle. It may be caused by disease of bone in that region, 
from blows inflicted by drivers, or from injury by other cattle. Occa- 
sionally the ear becomes involved in actinomycosis, or the inflamma- 
tion may be the result of a tuberculous affection. 

Symptoms. — The animal will hold its head to one side, or shake it, 
while the ear itself is held immovable. The movement of the jaws in 
eating usually gives rise to a manifestation of pain ; the base of the ear 
may be feverish and swollen, and verj'- sensitive to the touch. If the 
inflammation has advanced to a suppurative stage, matter will flow from 
the ear, which generally emits a very offensive odor. 

Treatment. — At first hot fomentations to reduce pain and fever, fol- 
lowed by a sharp blister below the ear. Laudanum, 1 part to 10 
parts of sweet oil, may be injected into the ear to relieve pain and to 
soften the secretions. If there is a discharge from the ear, it should be 
washed thoroughly out by injecting warm soapsuds until all the matter 
has been washed away; then inject the following mixture twice a day: 
Sulphate of morphia, 20 grains; water, 1 pint; glycerine, 4 ounces. 

ABSCESS. 

Abscesses sometimes form about the base of the ear, either inside 
or outside, caused by contusions. A serous cyst is found occasionally 
between the cartilage and the skin on the base of the ear, which may 
be due to a similar cause. 

Treatment. — Make a free incision with the knife into the most promi- 
nent part of the abscess or cyst, then wash out the sac with carbolized 
water, using a sj^'inge for the purpose. If the abscess recurs, open it 
again, wash it out, and inject tincture of iodine, or fill it with iodoform. 

FUNGOID GROWTHS. 

As a result of laceration or wound of any kind, fungous growths 
may develop on the ear, characterized by a raw, bleeding, granulating 
surface, with a tendency to become pendulous. 
354 



DISEASES OF THE EAR. 355 

Treatment. — The whole tumor or diseased structure should be cut 
away, and the wound treated daily with a dressing of carbolized cos- 
moline or turpentine and sweet oil, 1 part of the former to 4 of the 
latter. 

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EAR. 

Bugs have been known to gain entrance into the ear of an animal. 
I once removed an acorn from the ear of a cow that had been roaming 
in the woods. Accidentally, pieces of wood from a stanchion may 
become lodged in the ear. 

Symptoms. — A continuous uneasiness or frequent shaking of the 
head, occasionally the manifestations of exceeding great pain. The 
animal may rub the head and ear against trees or other objects in an 
endeavor to dislodge the offending body. 

Treatment. — A careful examination will reveal the offending cause, 
which may be removed with a pair of forceps or scraped out with a 
hairpin or piece of wire bent at one end. If much inflammation exists, 
the ear may be swollen so that the foreign substance will be hidden 
from sight; then a probe maybe inserted to feel for the object, which, 
when located, should be removed, even if it becomes necessary to 
split the ear at the base to do so. Afterwards treat the ear with fre- 
quent warm water fomentations and the injection of soapy water or 
oil and water, 

SCURFY EARS. 

Cattle are subject to scurfj^ ears, which may be due to a general 
morbid condition of the skin, or may be confined to the ears alone. 
The affected animal shows an inclination to rub the ear; thick scales 
of scurf collect on it, which sometimes have the appearance of hard, 
Avy, horny scales. This condition is chieflj^ due to a faulty secretion 
of the sebaceous glands of the ear. Thoroughly clean the ear with a 
stiff brush, then anoint it, so far as affected, with vaseline 4 parts to 
1 part of white precipitate ointment. If the scurfy ears are onlj- a 
part of a general scurfiness of the skin, the condition of the animal 
needs attention. (See "Pityriasis," p. 329.) 

FROSTBITE. 

It is not uncommon among young cattle which are poorly nourished 
and exposed outdoors to storms and extreme cold to suffer frostbite 
of the ear, which may constitute actual freezing of the part. 

Siimpioms. — Frostbite presents naturally every degree of severity 
from the mere chilling of the tip of the ear to positive freezing and 
death of a portion. In a day or two after the freezing has occurred the 
ear will become swollen and verj^ jjainful; the dead part will remain 
cold and begin to shrivel; a line of separation then forms between the 
inflamed and the dead or dying portion, and finally the piece destroyed 



35(t diseases of cattle. 

drops off, leaving a raw healing surface. When the ear is only 
slightly affected by the cold, an excoriation or peeling off of super- 
ficial skin takes place, accompanied by some pain and itching. 

Treatnienf. — A good liniment for frozen ears will be found in a 
mixture of turpentine, ammonia, and chloroform, of each 1 part, 
added to parts of sweet oil. Rub this on the ear several times a 
day. It will relieve pain and stimulate the circulation, thus favoring 
a recover}^ of the injured structures. 

LACERATIONS OF THE EAR. 

Aggressive dogs are the most frequent cause of lacerated ear, gen- 
erally leaving a torn, ragged edge and bruised cartilage. 

Treatineni. — If the wound is extensive a trimming of the ragged 
edges becomes necessary; then fasten the edges together with silver 
wire, catgut, or strong, thick, linen thread, taking a deep hold. Apply 
pine tar. 

DISEASE OF THE CARTILAGE AND NECROSIS. 

Occasionally the cartilages of the ear become affected, usually the 
result of a deep bruise; pus foi-ms, which burrows under the skin, and 
may find a discharge from any part of the ear more or less distant from 
the seat of the disease. When the cartilage has been extensively 
injured, pieces of it may become dead (necrosed) and dissolve, to be 
carried away with the pus, or it may lead to extensive sloughing and 
the formation of numerous running sores. In the disease of the car- 
tilage there is seldom much swelling or great pain. The discharge is 
usually very offensive, and occasionally streaked with blood. AVhen- 
ever there is a long-continued, persistent discharge from one or more 
openings in the ear, disease of the cartilage may be suspected. 

Treahnent. — The sinus formed by the passage of matter should be 
probed and searched to the bottom for the presence of a foreign sub- 
stance or the evidence of decaying cartilage. When the probe touches 
necrosed cartilage it will feel like the presence of a piece of dry leather 
or partially softened wood. A counter opening must then be made 
at this place, and all diseased cartilage cut away with the knife. The 
subsequent treatment consists in keeping the artificial wound open 
for the discharge of pus, and the injection of chloride of zinc, 5 grains 
to the ounce of water, once or twice a daj', until the wound is healed. 

ENCHONDROMA OF THE EAR. 

This is an excessive growth of cartilage, found at the base of the 
ear in the form of a hard, painless tumor, firmly attached to the mov- 
able ear. Tlie only recourse for its removal is the knife in the hands 
of one acquainted with the anatomy of the part involved in the 
operation. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

By Drs. D. E. Salmon and Theobald Smith. 

[Revised in 1904 by Dm. Salmon and Mohler.] 
GENERAL INTRODUCTION. 

The importance to the farmer and stock raiser of a general knowl- 
edge of the nature of infectious diseases need not be insisted on, as it 
must be evident to all who have charge of farm animals. The grow- 
ing facilities for intercourse between one section of a country and 
another, and between different countries, cause a wide distribution of 
the infectious diseases once restricted to a definite locality. Not only 
the animals themselves, but the cars, vessels, or other conveyances 
in which they are carried may become agents for the dissemination of 
disease. The growing tendency of specialization in agriculture, which 
leads to the maintenance of large herds of cattle, slieep, and hogs, 
makes infectious diseases more common and more dangerous. Fresh 
animals are being continually' introduced which may be the carriers 
of disease from other herds, and when disease is once brought into a 
large herd the losses become very high, because it is difficult, if not 
impossible, to check it after it has once obtained a foothold. 

These considerations make it plain that only by the most careful 
supervision by intelligent men who understand the nature of infectious 
diseases and their causes in a general way can these be kept awa3^ 
We must likewise consider how incomplete our knowledge concerning 
many diseases is, and probably will be for some time to come. The 
suggestions and recommendations offered by investigators may, there- 
fore, not always be correct, and may require frequent modification as 
our information grows more comprehensive and exact. 

An infectious disease may be defined as any malady caused by the 
introduction into tlie body of minute organisms of a vegetable or 
animal nature Avhicli have the power of indefinite multiplication and 
of setting free certain peculiar poisons which are chiefly responsible 
for the morbid changes. 

This definition might include diseases due to certain animal para- 
sites, such as trichinae, for example, which multiply in the digestive 
tract, but whose progeny is limited to a single generation. Bj^ com- 
mon consent the term "infectious" is restricted to those diseases 
caused by the invasion and multiplication of certain very minute uni- 
cellular organisms included under the general classes of bacteria and 

357 



358 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

protozoa. Nearly all the diseases of cattle for which a definite cause 
has been traced are due to bacteria. Among these are tuberculo- 
sis, anthrax, blackleg, and tetanus (or lockjaw). Some diseases, such 
as Texas fever and nagana, are traceable to protozoa, while others, 
like actinomycosis and aspergillosis, are caused by fungi. Those dis- 
eases of which the cause is unknown or imperfectly worked out are 
pleuro-pneumonia, rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, rabies, cow- 
pox, malignant catarrh, and dj^sentery. 

Bacteria may be defined as very minute, unicellular organisms of a 
plant-like character. Their form is very simple, as may be seen from 
an inspection of the various species depicted on Plate XXIX. The 
description of these figures will be found at the end of this article. 
The magnification there given will furnish the reader some idea of 
their very minute size. They multiply in two ways. The bacterium 
elongates and then divides in the middle to form 2 daughter cells. 
These go through the same process at once, and thus 4 cells are pro- 
duced. The division of these leads to 8, the division of 8 to 16, and so 
on indefinitely. The rapidity with which this multiplication takes 
place depends upon the nature of the bacterium. The bacillus of 
tuberculosis multiplies very slowly, while that of anthrax multiplies 
with great rapidit}^, provided both are in the most favorable condition. 
Another mode of reproduction, limited to certain classes of bacteria, 
consists in the formation of a spore within the body of the bacterium. 
Spore formation usually takes place when the conditions pertaining to 
the growth of the bacteria become unfavorable. The spores are much 
more resistant to destructive agents than the bacteria which produced 
them. The anthrax spore may live several years in a dried state, but 
the anthrax bacillus perishes in a few days under like conditions. 
This matter will be referred to again when we come to discuss the sub- 
ject of disinfection. 

Of the j)rotozoa which cause disease verj^ little is at present known. 
The one which produces Texas fever is pictured on Plate XLYII, in 
figs. 4 and 5. These parasites have a more complex life history than 
bacteria; and as they can not be grown in artificial media, their 
thorough investigation is at present ham^jered with great difficulties. 

The differences in the symptoms and lesions of the various infectious 
diseases are due to differences in the respective organisms causing 
them. Similarly the great differences observed in the sources from 
which animals become infected and the manner in which infection takes 
place are due to differences in the life history of these minute organ- 
isms. Much discussion has taken place of late years concerning the 
precise meaning of the words "infection " and " contagion." But these 
words are now wholly inadequate to express the complex j)rocesses of 
infection, and it may be said that each species of bacterium or proto- 
zoon has its own peculiar way of invading the animal body, differing 
more or less from all the rest. There are, however, a few broad dis- 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 359 

tinctions which may be expressed with the help of these old terms. 
Infection, as laid down above, refers at present in a comprehensive 
way to all microorganisms capable of setting up disease in the bod)'. 
Some microorganisms are transmitted directly from one animal to 
another, and the diseases produced may be called contagious. Among 
these are included pleuro-pneumonia, rinderpest, foot-and-mouth dis- 
ease, rabies, cowpox, and tuberculosis. Again, certain organisms are 
perhaps never transmitted from one animal to another, but ma}' come 
from the soil. Among these are tetanus, blackleg, anthrax to a large 
extent, and perhaps actinomycosis in part. These diseases, accord- 
ing to some authorities, maybe called miasmatic. There is a third class 
of infectious diseases of which the specific bacteria are transmitted 
from one animal to another, as with the contagious diseases, but the 
bacteria may, under certain favorable conditions, find enough food in 
the soil and the surroundings of animals to multiply to some extent 
after they have left the sick and before they gain entrance into a 
healthy animal. 

This general classification is subject to change if we take into con- 
sideration other characteristics. Thus tuberculosis would not by 
many be considered contagious in the sense that' foot-and-mouth 
disease is, because of the insidious beginning and slow course of the 
disease. Yet the bacillus must come from preexisting disease in 
either case. The disease of rabies, or hydrophobia, is not contagious 
in the sense that rinderpest is, because the virus of rabies must be 
inoculated into a wound before it can take effect. Yet in both cases 
the virus passes without modification from one animal to another, 
though in different ways. 

Again, all the diseases under the second group, which seem to come 
from the soil and from i^astures, are in one sense contagious in that 
the virus may be taken from a sick animal and inoculated directl.v 
into a healthy animal with positive result. Other illustrations may 
be cited which show that these old terms are not in themselves satis- 
factory. There are so many conditions which enter into the process 
of infection that no single classification will give a sufficiently correct 
or comprehensive idea of it. These statements will be easily under- 
stood if the ditt'erent infectious diseases in the following pages be 
studied with reference to the way or ways in which each disease may 
be contracted. Enough has been said, therefore, to show that, if we 
wish to make ourselves acquainted with the dangers of any given 
disease, we must studj- that disease and not relj' upon any single word 
to tell the whole story. 

Infectious diseases have, as a general rule, a period of incubation^ 
which comprises the time elapsing between the exposure to the infec- 
tion and the actual appearance of the disease. This period varies 
with the malad3^ The most common symptom of this class of diseases 
is fever. The severity of the fever is measured by the temperature 



360 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of the animal, and this is readily and accurately ascertainable by 
the clinical thermometer. (See PI. Ill, fig. 1.) The other symptoms 
are variable and depend upon the particular organ or organs most 
implicated. Loss of appetite, cessation of rumination and milk secre- 
tion, and general dullness are symptoms quite invariablj^ present in 
most infectious diseases. 

During the course of infectious diseases secondary diseases or com- 
plications may arise which are largely due to bacteria other than those 
producing the original malady. These complications are often so 
severe as to become fatal. In general it maj^ be stated that they are 
due to filthy surroundings, and hence cleanliness raaj' become an 
important aid to recovery. 

The treatment of infectious diseases is given under each malady so 
far as this is allowable or advisable. These diseases are not, as a rule, 
amenable to treatment. When the symptoms have once appeared the 
disease is apt to run its course in spite of treatment, and, if it is one 
from which animals usually recover, all that can be done is to put 
them into the most favorable surroundings. Many infectious diseases 
lead sooner or later to death, and treatment is useless so far as the 
sick are concerned, and it may be worse than useless for those not 
yet infected. All animals suffering with infectious diseases are a 
menace to all others more or less directly. They represent for the time 
being manufactories of disease germs, and they are giving them off 
more or less abundantly during the period of disease. They may 
infect others directly or they may scatter the virus about, and the 
surroundings may become a future source of infection for healthy 
animals. This leads us to the subject "of prevention as the most 
important of all which claim our attention. In this place only a few 
general remarks will suffice to bring the subject before the reader. 

The most imiDortant thing is to keep disease awaj' from a herd or 
farm. To do this all sick or suspicious animals should be avoided. 
A grave form of disease may be introduced by apparently mild or 
trivial cases brought in from without. It is generally conceded that 
continual change and movement of animals are the most potent means 
by which infectious diseases are disseminated. 

With some cattle diseases, such as anthrax, rinderpest, and pleuro- 
pneumonia, ijreventive inoculation is resorted to in some countries. 
This may be desirable when certain diseases have become stationary 
in any locality, so that eradication is impossible. It should not be 
practiced in territories where a given disease may still be extirpated 
by ordinary precautions. Preventive inoculation is applicable to only 
a few maladies, and therefore its aid in the control of diseases is a 
limited one. 

When an infectious disease has gained foothold in a herd the course 
to be pursued in getting rid of it will depend upon the nature of the 
malady. A good rule is to kill diseased animals, especially when the 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 361 

disease is likely to run a chronic course, as in tuberculosis. The next 
important step is to separate the well from the sick by placing the 
former on fresh ground. This is rarely possible; hence the destruc- 
tion or removal of the sick, with thorough disinfection of the infected 
locality, is the next thing to be done. As to the disinfectants to be 
used, special directions are given under the various diseases, to which 
the reader is referred. Here we will simply call attention briefly to 
the general subject. 

Disinfection consists in the use of certain substances which possess 
the power to destroy bacteria or their spores, or botli. Those which 
are cheapest and most available for animal diseases are ordinary 
freshly slaked lime or unslaked in powder, chloride of lime, crude 
carbolic acid, corrosive sublimate, formaldehyde gas, formalin, creolin, 
and lysol. 

(1) Slaked lime is perhaps the most easily jjrocured, but its disin- 
fecting power is limited. While it is capable of destroying all bac- 
teria in their vegetative state, it is unable to destroj^ spores such 
as those of anthrax and blackleg. It is probable, howevei-, that in 
incrusting spores it may destro}* their vitality sooner or later. It is 
regarded as safe practice to use onl}^ spore-destroying substances for 
the virus of those diseases of which we have no definite knowledge. 
Nevertheless, in the absence of other disinfectants, lime is verj^ useful. 
It may be emploj^ed as a whitewash on wood and stone and sprinkled 
as a dilute wash or in j)owder over j-ards, manure heaps, and over 
carcasses before they are buried and over the ground on which they 
have lain, to prevent other animals from carrying the infection awa3\ 

(2) Chloride of lime is more efficient than simple slaked or unslaked 
lime, since it destroys spores. It is the ordinary bleaching powder 
of commerce, and is quite unstable; hence old preparations, unless 
sealed, are of little A^alue. A 5 per cent solution is sufficiently strong 
for all spore-bearing bacteria (3 ounces in 2 quarts of water). It may 
be efficiently applied to the walls and floor of an infected stable by 
mixing with limewash in the jDroportion of 6 ounces of the chloride of 
lime to each gallon of limewash. The ceilings and those portions of 
the walls which can not be reached should be disinfected by means 
of chlorine gas liberated from the chloride of lime hy crude carbolic 
acid. This is accomplished by making a cone of 5 or 6 pounds of 
chloride of lime, in the top of which a deep crater is made for the 
placement of from 1 to 2 pints of crude carbolic acid. The edge of 
the crater is thereupon pushed into the fluid, when a lively reac- 
tion follows. Owing to the heat generated, it is advisable to place 
the chloride of lime into an iron crucible and to have nothing inflam- 
mable within a radius of two feet. The number and location of 
these cones of chloride of lime depend on the size and structure of 
the building to be disinfected. As a rule it may be stated that chlorine 
gas liberated from the above-sized cone will be sufficient for disin- 



362 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

fecting 5,200 cubic feet of air space. The fumes of chlorine are 
strongly irritating to the respiratory tract, and therefore all live stock 
should be i-emoved before the work is started. 

(3) Crude carbolic acid. The ordinary purified carbolic acid is too 
expensive to be used on a large scale, and the crude product is a very 
good substitute. This is made more powerful by mixing with it an 
equal volume of commercial sulphuric acid. While the sulphuric acid 
is being added to the crude carbolic acid much heat is evolved, and if 
the glass jar in which the two are mixed together is placed in cold 
water, the resulting product is said to have a higher disinfecting power. 
The mixture is added to enough water to make a 5 per cent solution 
(about 7 ounces to 4 quarts of water). This is strong enough for all 
purposes. It may be kept in wood or glass, but not in metal, owing to 
the corroding action of the acid. It should be used freely on wood- 
work and on infected floors, and a force pump of the kind used by 
orchardists will be found verj^ convenient as a means of applying this 
disinfectant. If the solution is warm when applied, it will penetrate 
the woodwork better than when it is cold, especially if the spraying 
is done during cold weather. The addition of air-slaked lime in any 
quantity that will dissolve in water to the above solution (say 1^ 
pounds of lime to 7 ounces of crude carbolic acid to each gallon of 
water) is preferred by many, as it makes any neglected places at once 
visible and leaves a cleaner and purer atmosphere within the build- 
ings. In most cases where its application becomes desirable — and 
this rule should apply to all disinfections — the disinfected stables, 
stalls, etc., should remain vacant as long as possible before cattle are 
again stabled therein. 

(4) Mercuric chloride, or corrosive sublimate, is a powerful disin- 
fectant, but it is likewise very poisonous; hence its uses are limited. 
Cattle are especially susceptible to the action of mercuric chloride 
and caution must be used in its application. A solution of one-tenth 
of 1 per cent is usually sufficient (1 ounce to 8 gallons water). Mer- 
curic chloride should not be placed in wooden pails, as we have the 
tannate of mercury formed, which is a weak antiseptic; nor should 
expensive metal pails be used, owing to its corrosive action. Agate 
vessels or tin pails are to be preferred. All solutions should be 
labeled "poison," and to avoid accidents none should be kept on 
hand. 

(5) Formalin and formaldehyde gas have been found very effica- 
cious as sanitary agents. Formalin is the commercial name for the 
40 per cent solution of formaldehyde gas in water, and is one of the 
most powerful antiseptics and disinfectants that we possess. Solu- 
tions of this strength are manufactured by different commercial 
houses, and sold by the drug trade under the name of "formalose" 
and "formal." In this connection it should be mentioned that 
while the 40 per cent solution of formaldehyde gas and formalin are 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 363 

exactly the same thing, the former can be purchased at 33^ to 64 per 
cent less than the latter. Formalin ma}' be applied, diluted with 
water in the proportion of 1 part of formalin to 30 parts of water, 
or 4 ounces of formalin to each gallon of water, and it may thus be 
used as a wash or as a spray on all paints, metals, and woodwork, as 
well as on clothing and other fabrics, without exerting any injurious 
influence on the objects treated. It may also be applied to floors, 
Avails, and woodwork in whitewash by mixing 1 part of formalin to 30 
parts of lime wash, or 4 ounces of formalin to each gallon of lime wash. 
Formalin has the appearance of water and in the strong solution is 
poisonous, but when diluted as recommended above it is not danger- 
ous. The fumes given off by it, however, are very disagreeable and 
irritating to the eyes and nasal mucous membranes. One and one- 
half ounces of formalin added to 1 gallon of water is a valuable agent 
for the disinfection of the skin or septic wounds, but is somewhat 
painful and irritating to raw surfaces. 

Formaldehyde is a gas which is soluble in 2^ parts of water (40 
parts of formaldehyde gas to 100 parts of water), and this solution 
constitutes the formalin of commerce. The use of formaldehyde gas 
is in most cases impracticable for stable disinfection. In case the 
stable is not too large and can be made almost air-tight the generation 
of formaldehj^le gas, after removing all the animals, will be found 
very serviceable. It penetrates all parts of the stable — the walls, 
crevices, floors, ceiling — and is i^robably the best fumigating disinfect- 
ant that we have. This gas may be generated by a specially con- 
structed apparatus devised for this purpose, but this method of dis- 
infection, while practicable in the house, is rather inapplicable for 
stables and should onl}' be used by experienced persons. 

(6) Some coal-tar products, such as creolin and lysol, are cheap, 
effective, and easily applied disinfectants, their action being due to 
the carbolic acid and creosote in their composition. They may be 
used in 3 to 5 per cent solution. Creolin forms a milky solution in 
water, while the aqueous solution of lysol is clear and oily. 

When it is desired to apply any of these above-mentioned agents to 
the stable or barnyard, a preliminary cleaning up of all debris and 
litter is advisable, together with the scraping of the floor, mangers, 
and walls of the stable with hoes and the removal of all dust and 
filth. This should be followed by the burning of all such accumula- 
tions, inasmuch as this material likewise contains the infectious i)rin- 
cij^le and is best destroyed by heat. Heat may be applied to the 
surface of the affected pen, b3a'e, or barnyard bj^ means of a cyclone 
burner, which consists of a tank, pump, hose, and c^'clone nozzle for 
spraying with paraffin (gas oil). The latter is ejected in the form of 
spray, which when ignited gives a very hot and effective flame to be 
applied to the infected ground. Where such burning is impracticable 
the surface soil of the yard and surroundings should be removed to a 



864 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

depth of 5 or 6 inches and then placed in a heap and thoroughly 
mixed with air-slaked lime. The fresh surface of the soil thus exposed 
may then be sprinkled with any of the above-mentioned disinfectants. 
In addition to these artificial substances there are several natural 
sanitary agents of great importance as destroyers of virus. These are 
cleanliness, ventilation, drying, and sunshine. All virus, excepting 
such as may live in the soil, is killed sooner or later bj^ drying and 
sunshine, and the importance of these factors in the daily life of ani- 
mals need not be insisted on here. Finally, all sanitary measures 
which contribute to the healthfulness of animal surroundings are 
directly or indirectly inimical to disease germs, and all carelessness 
in the keeping of animals may be regarded as an ally of these destruc- 
tive organisms. 

CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 

Definition and history. — This disease has been eradicated from the 
United States, and it is not probable that it will ever be seen in this 
country again. As, however, much interest was manifested in regard 
to it for a number of years, and as our cattle are still prohibited from 
some foreign markets on account of its previous existence here, the 
subject is treated at greater length than would otherwise be necessary. 

The contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle is a specific epizootic 



VARIOUS BACTERIA WHICH PRODUCE BACTERIA IN CATTLE. 

[Description of PI. XXIX.] 

The bacteria on this plate are partly from tissues, partly from cultures, and 
stained artificially with aniline colors (fuchsin or methylene blue). Figs. 6 and 7 
are copied from Friinkel and Pfeiffer's atlas. All but fig. 7 are magnified 1,000 
times; fig. 7, 500 times. 

Fig. 1. Bacteria from pneumonia in cattle. These are also the cause of hemor- 
rhagic septicemia and are closely related to swine-plague bacteria. These bacteria 
were drawn from a piece of spleen pulp (rabbit). 

Fig. 2. Micrococci (streptococcus) which produce inflammation of the lining 
membranes of the abdomen, thorax, heart, brain, and joints. Frequently associ- 
ated with the preceding bacteria in abscesses. 

Fig. 3. Micrococci (staphylococcus) which produce inflammation and suppura- 
tion, also pyemia. 

Fig. 4. Bacilli of blackleg. The pale oval bodies as well as the light spots in 
one end of the bacilli rejiresent spores. 

Fig. 5. Bacilli which produce tetanus, or lockjaw. The light spot in the enlarged 
end of each rod represents a spore. 

Fig. 0. Bacilli of tuberculosis. Microscopic sections of a pearly nodule from 
the lining membrane of the chest cavity. The bacilli are stai: ed red and appear 
as small straight rods within the cells of the nodule, or tubercle. 

Fig. 7. Bacilli of anthrax. Bacilli from the spleen of a mouse inoculated with 
a culture. The bacilli were obtained from the blood of a cow which died of 
anthrax in Mississippi . The bacilli appear as rods stained blue. The round bodies 
are blood corpuscles, also stained artificially. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxix 




Fi^.i 



Vig.2 



Pig. 3 





Fig. 4 



Fi^. 5 





Fig. G Fi^. 7 

Haines del julius bien a co.i 

Various Bacteria which produce disease in Cattle. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 365 

disease which affects bovine animals, and from which other species are 
exempt. It is characterized, wlien the disease results from exposure 
in the usual manner, by an inflammation of the lungs and pleurse, 
which is generally extensive, and which has a tendency to invade por- 
tions of these organs not primarily affected and to cause deatli of the 
diseased portion of the lung. This disease is frequentlj' called the 
lung plague, which corresponds with its German name of Lungen- 
seuche. In French it is spoken of as the peripneumoyiie eontagieuse. 

The history of the contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle can not be 
traced with any certainty to a period earlier tlian the beginning of the 
eighteenth century. No doubt it existed and ravaged the herds of 
Europe for many years and perhaps centuries before that time, but 
veterinary knowledge was so limited that the descriptions of the 
symptoms and postmortem appearances are too vague and too limited 
to admit of the identification of the maladies to which they refer. It 
has been supposed by some writers that certain passages in the writ- 
ings of Aristotle, Livy, and Virgil show the existence of pleuro-pneu- 
monia at the time that their works were composed, but their references 
are too indefinite to be seriously accepted as indicating this rather 
than some other disease. 

As early as 1718 and 1714 it seems quite plain that pleuro-pneumonia 
existed in Suabia and several Cantons of Switzerland. Even clearer 
accounts are in existence of its jirevalence in Switzerland in 1732, 1743, 
and 1765. In 1709 a disease of cattle was investigated in Franche- 
Comte by Bourgelat which was called murie, but which undoubtedly 
was identical with the pleuro-ijneumonia of to-day. From that period 
we have frequent and well-authenticated accounts of its existence in 
various parts of Europe. During the ]3eriod from 1790 to 1812 it was 
spread throughout a large portion of the continent of Europe by the 
cattle driven for the subsistence of the armies, which marched and 
countermarched in all directions. It was generally ijrevalent in Italy 
in 1800. It appears to have been unknown, however, in the Depart- 
ment of the Nord, France, until 1826, but during the years from 1820 
to 1840 it penetrated into most parts of that country. During the 
same period it was introduced into and allowed to spread over Bel- 
gium and Holland. 

This contagion is said to have been carried to Ireland from Holland 
in 1839, and is reported as existing in England in 1842. The disease 
was brought to the United States at several different times. Prob- 
ably the first introduction of the contagion was with a diseased cow 
sold in Brooklj^n, N. Y., in 1843. It came to New Jersey by import- 
ing aft'ected animals in 1847. Massachusetts was infected in the same 
way in 1859. 

South Africa was infected by a bull brought from Holland in 1854, 
and Australia likewise received the contagion with an English cow in 
1858. It is also reported as existing in various parts of the continent 



366 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of Asia, but the time of its first appearance and the extent of its dis- 
tribution are very uncertain. 

Some countries, wliich had only been infected for a short time, such 
as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, have succeeded in eradicating tlie 
disease without much difficulty by slaughtering all affected and exposed 
animals. Other countries long infected and in which the contagion 
was thoroughly established, like Australia, South Africa, Italy, France, 
Belgium, and parts of Germany, have labored long, in some cases 
making no progress and in others being only partially successful. 
Holland was one of the first of the thoroughly infected countries to 
free itself from the contagion. 

In the United States, Massachusetts eradicated pleuro-pneumonia 
during the period from 1860 to 1866. New York and New Jersey made 
an attempt to eradicate it in 1879, but were not successful. Late in 
1883 the contagion was carried to Ohio, probably by Jersey cattle 
purchased in the vicinity of Baltimore, Md., to which place it had 
extended previous to 1868. From the herd then infected it was spread 
hy the sale of cattle during 1884 to a limited number of herds in Illi- 
nois, to one herd in Missouri, and to two herds in Kentucky. The 
alarm caused among the stock owners of the United States by this 
widespread dissemination of a disease so much dreaded led to the 
adoption of active measures for its control and eradication. By coop- 
eration between the United States Department of Agriculture and the 
authorities of the affected States it was found possible to prevent the 
further spread of the contagion and to eradicate it after a few months' 
delay. 

In 1886 pleuro-pneumonia was discovered in some of the large dis- 
tillery stables of Chicago and among cows on neighboring lots. This 
led to renewed efforts to secure the complete extirpation of tiiis dis- 
ease from the country. Congress in 1887 enlarged the appropriation 
available for this purpose, and gave more extended authority. Dur- 
ing the same year the disease was stamped out of Chicago, and has 
not since appeared in any district west of the Allegheny Mountains. 

The work of eradication was at the same time commenced in all of 
the infected States. Before the end of the year 1889 Pennsylvania, 
Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia had been 
freed from the disease. More difficulties, however, were encountered 
in the States of New Tork and New Jersey, on account of the larger 
territory infected and the density of the population. The long sti-ug- 
gle was crowned with success, however, and the last animal in which 
the disease appeared in the State of New York was slaughtered early 
in 1891, and the last one affected in New Jersey met the same fate 
early in the spring of 1892. 

During these same years a supreme effort had been made to stamp 
out tliis lung plague from Great Britain. From the official reports it 
appears that the number of infected districts and of diseased animals 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 867 

had rapidly diminished, but it was not until 1898 that the infection 
was finally eradicated. 

The other infected European countries, though they maintain a 
veterinary sanitary service, are not making satisfactory progress in 
eradicating the disease. This is due partly to delays in carrying out 
the provisions of the laws and partly to mistaken ideas as to the 
measures which are necessary to accomplish the object. The United 
States was the last of the countries, having old infected districts, 
which undertook to stamp out this contagion, and, excepting Hol- 
land, it was the first to reach success. 

Tlie cause {etiology) of pleuro-pneumonia. — This is a contagious dis- 
ease, and only arises by contagion from a previously affected animal ; 
consequently it can never be seen here except as the result of import- 
ing affected animals from the Old World. When thoroughly stamped 
out it does not reappear, and if imported animals continue to be 
properly inspected and quarantined we have every reason to believe 
that pleuro-pneumonia will nev^er again be seen affecting the cattle 
of this country. 

The exact nature of the virus or contagion of lung plague has never 
been determined. Various investigators have from time to time 
claimed the discovery of the specific germs of the disease, but it was 
not until 1898 that Nocard and Roux, by an ingenious method of culti- 
vation, succeeded in obtaining a very feeble growth of an exceedingly 
minute microorganism. With these cultures the disease was j)ro- 
duced in cattle. 

Some investigators and writers are of the opinion that the disease 
can only be contracted by an animal coming near enough to a living 
diseased animal to receive the contagion directly from it. They hold 
that the contagion is expired with the air from the affected lungs, 
and that it must be almost immediately inspired by another animal in 
order to produce the disease. Some experimental attempts to infect 
animals hy placing them in stables where diseased animals have been, 
and by placing the diseased lungs of slaughtei-ed animals in their 
feeding troughs have failed, and, consequently, apparently confirm 
this view. 

On the other hand, it is known that the serum from affected lungs 
retains its virulence and may be used successfully for inoculation 
weeks or months after the death of the animal from which it was 
taken. This is particularly the case when this liquid is hermetically 
sealed in glass tubes. Other investigators state that they have suc- 
cessfully infected cattle by jDlacing in the nostrils sponges or pledgets 
of cotton saturated with such serum. Cattle have also, according to 
the best evidence obtainable, been infected from the clothing of 
attendants, from horns used in drenching, and from smelling about 
wagons which have been used to transport carcasses of animals 
affected with this disease. In the work of eradicating pleuro-pneu- 



368 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

roonia from the United States, many stables were foaiid in which the 
disease would appear and reappear after the slaughter of affected 
herds, and in spite of any precautions which could be adopted. These 
were always old stables, with woodwork in a decaying condition and 
with floors underlaid with filth which could not be thoroughly 
removed or disinfected. In every one of these cases the destruction 
of the stable, the burning of the lumber of which it was constructed, 
the removal of the accumulations beneath the floors, and the thoi'ough 
disinfection prevented the recurrence of the plague in new stables 
built upon the same premises. This experience conclusively shows 
that under certain conditions, at least, stables may retain the infec- 
tion for a considerable time, and that when restocked the disease may 
break out again from such infection. 

As a rule, however, the disease is acquired by a healthy animal 
being near to an affected one and receiving the contagion direct. 
Affected animals maj' give off the contagion in the early stages of the 
disease before the symptoms are apparent to the observer, and they 
may retain this infectious character, if they survive the attack, for 
six months and probablj'^ for a year after all symptoms of the disease 
have disappeared. 

Incubation. — The time which elapses between exposure to the con- 
tagion of pleuro-pneumonia and the first appearance of the symptoms 
of this disease varies greatl}' with different individuals and Avith dif- 
ferent outbreaks of the disease. Ordinarily the symptoms of disease 
make their appearance within three to six weeks after exposure; 
but tlie}" may be observed within two weeks or they may not become 
apparent until nearlj'' or quite three months. It is this long period of 
incubation, and the great length of time that an animal may dissemi- 
nate the contagion after apxjarent recover}^, which give the plague 
that insidious cliaracter so often spoken of, and which greatly 
increases the difficulties of eradication. 

Syrnptoms. — The symptoms are such as would be expected with 
inflammation of the lungs and pleurre, but they vary considerably 
according to the type which the disease manifests. If the attack is 
an acute one, as is frequently seen in hot Aveather, the symptoms 
appear suddenly; the breathing becomes rapid and difficult, the animal 
grunts or moans with each expiration, the shoulders stand out from 
the chest, the head is extended on the neck, the back is arched, the 
temperature is 104° to 107°, the milk secretion is suspended, there is 
no appetite, rumination is stopped, the animal ma}' bloat and later 
be affected with a severe diarrhea. Such cases are generallj'' fatal in 
seven to twenty days. 

Very often the attack comes on slowly and the symptoms are much 
less clear. In the mildest cases there is a cough for a week or two, 
but no appreciable loss of appetite or elevation of temperature. The 
lungs are but slightly affected and recovery soon follows. Such 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 369 

animals may disseminate the contagion for a long time without being 
suspected, and for that reason are the most dangerous of all. 

A more severe type of the plague is the most frequently seen. In 
these cases the cough is frequent, more or less painful, the back 
somewhat arched, and the milk secretion diminished. The promi- 
nence of these symptoms increases, the appetite is affected, the animal 
loses flesh, the breathing becomes more rapid, the cough more jjainf ul, 
pressure of the fingers between the ribs shows tenderness, the hair 
loses its gloss and stands erect, the skin becomes adherent, little if 
any milk is secreted, and the temijerature rises, varying in different 
animals from 103° to 107° F. Animals thus affected may continue to 
grow worse and die in from three to eight weeks, or they may after a 
time begin to improve and make an apparent recovery. The inflam- 
mation of the lung does not, as a rule, subside and the organ return 
to its normal condition as is the case in ordinary pneumonia, but with 
this disease the life of the affected portion of the lung is destroyed, 
the tissue dies and a fibrous wall is formed around it to shut it away 
from the living parts of the body. The tissue, thus encysted, gradu- 
ally softens, becomes disintegrated and breaks down into pus. The 
recovery, therefore, is not complete; it is only apparent and partial. 

To those accustomed to examining the lungs of cattle, other and 
extremely important symptoms may be apparent during the course of 
the disease. By applying the ear over the walls of the chest an area 
of a certain extent may be found where the natural breathing sound 
is diminished or entirely lost. This represents the diseased portion 
of the lungs. In other cases a loud blowing sound may be heard, 
quite different from any sound produced when the lung is in a healthy 
condition. In some cases crepitation is heard near the border line of 
the diseased area, and friction sounds produced by the roughened 
pleui-a; but these can only be appreciated by those whose ears have 
been trained to distinguish between the different sounds which reach 
the ear when applied to the chest wall. By percussion — that is, by 
pressing the fingers of the left hand firmly against the wall of the 
chest and tapping upon the middle finger with the ends of the fingers 
of the right hand — an area of dullness may be discovered correspond- 
ing to the portion where the respiratory murmur has disappeared. 
This loss of respiration detected by auscultation, and the dullness 
brought out b}'^ percussion, are the most important evidences of an 
inflamed or consolidated lung. 

Seriously affected animals remain standing if they have sufficient 
strength, but those which lie down always lie on the affected side. 

The proportion of animals which become affected after being 
exposed varies according to the virulence of the outbreak, the sus- 
ceptibility of the animals, and the length of time during which expos- 
ure is continued. Sometimes not over 15, 20, or 30 per cent will 

8267—04 24 



370 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

contract the disease when a large herd is exposed; but, on the other 
hand, 80 or 90 per cent may be affected. The proportion of cases in 
which the disease proves fatal also varies greatly — it may not exceed 
10 per cent and it may reach 50 per cent. In general, it may be said 
that about 40 per cent of the exposed animals will contract the dis- 
ease and about one-half of these cases will prove fatal. 

Poshnortem appearances. — Owing to the complexity of the struc- 
ture of the lung tissue, its ramifications of bronchial tubes and blood 
vessels and its abundant supply of lymphatics, the pathological 
changes in pleuro-pneumonia are interpreted with great difficulty. 
Furthermore there are certain kinds of pneumonia which present 
some resemblances to pleuro-pneumonia and which may therefore be 
confused with it in some of its phases. 

If we kill an animal affected with acute pleuro-pneumonia and 
examine the cavity of the chest and lungs, the following appearances 
will be noted : 

The thorax may contain more or less serum, which may be clear or 
clouded. There may be firm adhesions of different parts of the lungs 
to the chest wall, the extent of which depends on the stage and 
severity of the disease. The diseased lobes are unusually large and 
exceedingly firm to the touch. The weight of a single large lobe may 
reach 40 pounds. Usually only one side is affected, often but a single 
lobe, and this most commonlj^ the large or principal lobe. The pleura 
may be covered with one or more layers of a firm, elastic, grayish 
membrane, which varies in thickness and which sometimes may be 
pulled away entirely. Sometimes it is absent. The pleura, however, 
is opaque and apparently very much thickened. This is due to the 
diseased condition of the connective tissue beneath the pleura, as 
will be explained later. When an affected lobe is cut through at 
right angles to its long diameter, the cut surface will present a variety 
of interesting changes. In the first place the spaces between the 
small subdivisions of the lung (the lobules), which in the healthy 
lung are barely visible, are distended with a yellowish white, usuallj'^ 
quite firm, substance, which is coagulated fibrin. The cut surface 
thus appears divided up into small fields by yellowish white bands of 
varying thickness running in various directions through the lung tis- 
sue and beneath the pleura. (PI. XXXII.) These bands may appear 
honeycombed and the spaces filled with yellowish fluid (serum) or the^' 
may be uniforml}' solid. It will also be noticed that the space immedi- 
ately outside of and around the artery, vein, and air tube is similarly 
broadened b}^ fibrinous deposits. Some authorities look upon these 
bands as constituting the so-called " marbling" of pleuro-pneumonia. 

In addition to these changes which ht*ve taken place in the connec- 
tive tissue between the lobules, the lung tissue itself maj'^ be mark- 
edly altered. Certain areas of the cut surface may be very firm in 
texture and brownish red in color. The cut surface is granular or 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 371 

roughened, not smooth to the eye. Other areas equally firm may bo 
more grayish yellow in color and still others may be blackish. (PI. 
XXXIII.) Besides these areas which represent solidified (hepatized) 
lung tissue there may be others which approach the normal lung tis- 
sue in color and which are soft and float in water. From these a 
milky purulent fluid may often be expressed. These different shades 
are represented in Plate XXXII, fig. 2, within a small compass. Some 
authorities are inclined to consider these variations in color on the 
same cut surface as the so-called marbling of pleuro-pneumonia. It 
matters not whether we regard the bands between the lobules or the 
varjing shades of the lobules themselves as the marbling, provided 
either or both are peculiar to contagious pleuro-pneumonia. If we 
examine the blood vessels appearing on such cut surface they will 
usually be found plugged within the firmly hepatized regions. The 
artery contains a daik, soft, removable clot, the vein a grayish pink, 
granular, fragile plug (thrombus), which adheres firmly to the wall of 
the vein, and if this be slit open indications of a diseased condition 
of the inner coat will be readily detected. When large regions of the 
lung tissue are hepatized the main air tube and its branches are 
usually filled with grayish, cjdindrical branched masses of fibrin easily 
removed, as they do not adhere to the mucous membrane. 

The views of pathologists differ as to the nature of the earliest 
changes in pleuro-pneumonia, and it is not within the scope of this 
work to present imperfectly developed or controverted theories. In 
the foregoing description we have taken as a type the acute pleuro- 
pneumonia in its fully developed phase, which can scarcely be 
mistaken for any other disease. We have seen that there is an inflam- 
matory condition of the connective tissue between the lobules, result- 
ing in the exudation of coagulable lymph. This inflammation is 
equall}' marked around the blood vessels and air tubes. It leads to 
inflammatory changes in the inner wall of the veins, and these cause 
the deposition of thrombi or plugs in the vessels, which prevent the 
return of the blood. The blood pumped into the lung tissue through 
the artery, but unable to get out by way of the vein, leaves the mesh- 
work of capillaries around the air vesicles, enters the latter, and pro- 
duces the firm hepatized condition so characteristic of this disease. 
It will be easily understood how the different shades of color from 
dark red to grayish or yellowish red are produced if we bear in mind 
that the veins in different parts of the lung tissue are plugged at dif- 
ferent times, and that therefore the affected regions are in different 
stages of disease. 

The complete plugging of the veins may lead to the death of cir- 
cumscribed masses of lung tissue. A line of separation forms betweeu 
the living and the dead tissue and a thick cyst wall of fibrous tissue 
forms ai'ound the latter. The dead tissue for a time j)reserves the 
appearance of lung tissue, then undergoes disintegration and lique- 



372 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

faction. The softened mass is finally absorbed and the walls of the 
cyst, or capsule around it, gradually collapse and form a cicatrix. 
This favorable termination takes place onl3'^ when the dead mass is not 
too large. It may, however, involve over a half of one of the large 
lobes. Under such circumstances recovery is improbable. A more 
favorable termination is the abundant growth of fibrous tissue around 
and into the hepatized masses. The formation of fibrous tissue may 
extend to the pleura, or lung covering, and cause firm adhesion of the 
lungs to the chest wall and to the pericardium, or heart case. 

The same peculiar inflammatory changes which take place between 
the lobules of the lung and around the bronchi and vessels may invade 
the pleural cavity, cause extensive membranous and spongy deposits 
on the pleura and firm deposits around the heart and large arteries, 
the gullet, and windpipe. 

These are the main features of the lung disease caused by contagious 
pleuro-pneumonia. In the typical acute cases there are a sufticient 
number of peculiarities to enable us to make a positive diagnosis. 
There are, however, many cases in which the disease is restricted to 
small areas, or to the interlobular tissue, or in which the changes are 
as yet imperfectly developed, or else so far advanced that doubts may 
arise as to the true nature of the affection. In such cases all obtain- 
able facts, including the history of the case, the symptoms during life, 
and the pathological changes observed on postmortem examination 
must be taken into consideration. Only one who has made a careful 
study of the disease is fitted to decide in such cases. 

Other kinds of lung disease may be confounded with pleuro-pneu- 
monia because of certain features common to most lung diseases of 
cattle. The inflammation of the connective tissue between the lobules 
is not infrequently observed in so-called interstitial pneumonia and 
may lead to the formation of whitish bands intersecting the lung tissue 
in various directions. On the cut surface these bands may give rise 
to a decidedly marbled appearance. Again, in traumatic pneumonia, 
due, as its name implies, to the entrance of foreign bodies into 
the lung tissue, genei-ally from the paunch, the connective tissue 
around the place of disease becomes inflamed and thickened and the 
disease itself may simulate pleuro-pneumonia in its retrogressive 
stages when it is confined to a small portion of lung tissue. The fill- 
ing up of the interlobular spaces with fibrin and connective tissue of 
inflammatory origin is not thus limited to pleuro-pneumonia, but may 
appear in a marked degree in other lung diseases. It must not be 
inferred from this statement that these interlobular changes are nec- 
essarily the same as those in pleuro-pneumonia, although they may 
appear the same to the naked eye. We simply note their presence 
without discussing their nature. 

In general the distinction between pleuro-pneumonia and broncho- 
pneumonin is>n()t difficult to make. In the latter disease the pneunio- 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 373 

Ilia generally invades certain lobes as indicated by the dotted line on 
PI. XXX. The disease attacks the smaller lobes in their lowest por- 
tions first and gradually extends upward, i. e., toward the root of the 
lung or tlie back of the animal and backward into the large principal 
lobes. Again both lungs, in advanced cases, are often symmetrically 
affected, as sliown by the dotted line on both lungs in the plate referred 
to. In contagious i)leuro-pneumonia the la?'ge principal lobe of one 
side is most frequently affected, and a symmetrical disease of both 
lungs is very rare, if, in fact, it has ever been observed. The lung 
tissue in broncho-pneumonia is not enlarged, but rather more con- 
tracted than the normal tissue around it. This is well illustrated in 
Plate XXXI. Normal air-containing lobules may be scattered among 
and around the hepatized portion in an irregular manner. In pleuro- 
pneumonia the diseased and healthy portions are either sharply divided 
off, one from the other, or else they shade into each other by interme- 
diate stages. 

The hepatized lung tissue in broncho-pneumonia when the cut sur- 
face is examined is usually of a more or less dark flesh color with paler 
grayish yellow dots regularly interspersed, giving it a peculiar mottled 
appearance. In the more advanced stages it becomes more firm, and 
may contain nodular and firmer masses disseminated through it. The 
air tubes usually contain more or less soft creamy or cheesy pus or a 
turbid fluid quite different from the loose fibrinous casts of acute 
pleuro-pneumonia. The interlobular tissue maj'^ or may not be 
affexited. It sometimes contains loose fibrinous plugs, or it may be 
greatly distended with air, especially in the still normal portions of 
the lung. The pleura is seldom seriously diseased. If we contrast 
with these features the firm dark-i-ed hepatizations, the plugging of 
the veins, the extensive interlobular deposits, and the well-marked 
pleuritis in pleuro-pneumonia, there is little chance for confusion 
between well-developed cases of these two lung diseases. 

It should not be forgotten,^ however, that the lesions of the disease 
known as contagious pleuro-pneumonia may be confined to the serous 
membranes of the thorax, or they may be confined to the parenchyma 
of the lungs; they may affect a whole lobe, or only a small portion of 
the lobe; they may or may not cause the so-called marbled appear- 
ance. In the same way broncho-pneumonia may var^^ as to the parts 
of the lung affected, the extent of the lesions, the degree and kind of 
pathological changes in the interlobular tissue, the color of the lung 
on cross section and the amount of hepatization. In individual cases, 
therefore, it is often necessary to take into account the history of the 
animal, the course of the disease, and the communicability of the 
affection before a diagnosis can be made between the two diseases. 

Prevention and treatrneni. — The prevention of pleuro-pneumonia, as 
of other contagious diseases, consists in keeping animals so that they 
will not be exposed to the contagion. As the disease only arises by 



374 DISEA.8ES OF CATTLE. 

contagion, there is no possibility of an animal becoming affected with 
it nnless it has been exposed. If, therefore, pleuro-pneumonia exists 
in a locality the owner of healthy cattle should make every effort to 
keep his animals from coming near those which are affected or near 
any which have been exposed. He should be equally particular not 
to allow any person who has been on the infected premises to visit 
his own pastures, stables, or cattle. 

If pleuro-pneumonia breaks out in a herd every animal in that herd 
should be slaughtered, the stables should be thoioughly cleaned and 
disinfected, and no other cattle should be allowed on the premises 
until a period of ninety days has elapsed. 

Medical treatment of affected animals is unavailing and should not 
be attempted. No matter how valuable the diseased animals may have 
been before they contracted the disease, they should at once be 
destroyed and the contagion eradicated. This is the best policy for 
the individual as well as for the community. 

The eradication of this disease by local or national governments can 
only be successful when the same principles are adopted and carried 
out as are here recommended for individual stables. It is then a diffi- 
cult undertaking, simply because the contagion is generally widely dis- 
seminated before any measures are adopted, and because a great 
majority of cattle owners will never report the existence of the dis- 
ease. Regulations must therefore be enforced which will insure the 
prompt discovery of every herd in which the disease appears, as well 
as the destruction of all diseased and exposed animals and the thor- 
ough disinfection of the premises. 

To discover pleuro-pneumonia sufficiently early for this purpose, the 
district supposed to be infected should be clearly defined and a suffi- 
cient force of inspectors should be constantly employed to inspect 
every herd in that district at least once in two weeks, or, better, once 
a week. No bovine animal should be allowed to go out of the defined 
district alive, and all which enter it should be carefully inspected to 
insure their freedom from disease. As an, assistance to the discovery 
of diseased herds, every animal which dies in the infected district 
from any cause, and every animal which is slaughtered, even if appar- 
ently in good health, should be the subject of a careful postmortem 
examination. Many affected herds will be found in this way. 

In addition to these measures it is also necessary to guard against 
the removal of animals from one stable to another, and the mixing of 
herds upon common pastures or in the jiublic highways. The object 
must be to isolate every individual's cattle as completely as possible, 
or otherwise a single affected animal may infect a dozen or more herds. 
To prevent surreptitious sale or trading of cattle, each animal must 
in some way be numbered and recorded in the books kept by the offi- 
cial in charge of the district. In the work of the United States 
Department of Agriculture a numbered metal tag was fastened to 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 375 

each animal's ear, and index books were so arranged that with a 
number given the owner could be at once ascertained, or from the 
o\v ner's name the cattle for which he was responsil)le could be at once 
learned. In this way if an animal was missing from a stable the fact 
became appaient at once, or if one animal too many was found in a 
stable the number in its ear would indicate where it came from. 

When pleuro-pneumonia is discovered b}^ these means, the entire 
herd should be slaughtered as soon as the formalities of appraisement 
can be arranged. In counti-y districts the carcasses should be buried, 
as it is generally impracticable to dispose of them in any other way. In 
city districts the animals may betaken to a slaughterhouse, with such 
I)recautions as are possible to prevent dissemination of the contagion. 
The animals should be slaughtered under the supervision of an inspector. 
The healthy carcasses may be utilized for food, but the blood, entrails, 
and all diseased carcasses should be heated to a temperature equal to 
or above boiling water, and then used for the manufacture of fertilizers. 

The disinfection of premises should be thorough and should be car- 
ried out 4)y a trained corps of men employed for that purpose. The 
floors of stables should be removed, the accumulations removed from 
beneath them, the contents of haylofts should be destroyed, and the 
woodwork and soil beneath the stables should be thoroughly drenched 
Avith a solution of bichloride of mercury, 1 part to 2,000 of water. 
After the flooring is replaced the woodwork should be coated with 
limewash, containing one-fourth pound of chloride of lime to the 
gallon of mixture. 

Usually in these cases the owners are dependent upon their herd of 
cows for a living, and consequently it is difiicult or impossible to 
hold the stables vacant for any considerable period. In a majority of 
instances cattle may be admitted at once to stables so disinfected, 
without the reappearance of the disease. Occasionally, however, it 
will reappear without apparent cause. For this reason the inspection 
and other measures must be maintained in the infected district for six 
months or a year after the last case of disease has been disposed of. 

Many people have objected to the slaughter of diseased and exposed 
animals as an unscientific and expensive method of eradicating this 
disease. To these it may be answered that it is the only method which 
has ever proved successful, and that in the end it is much more eco- 
nomical than temporizing measures. 

Inoculation has been adopted in many countries, and has undoubt- 
edly lessened the death rate, but the disease is kept up and spreads 
where this practice is allowed. For this reason it should be prohibited 
wherever there is a possibility and disposition to eradicate the con- 
tagion. 

RINDERPEST. 

Rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, is an acute, infectious dis- 
ease of cattle, in which the digestive organs are mainly involved. 



376 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Though unknown in this country, the importance of having near at 
hand a few definite facts concerning this disease, should it ever reach 
our shores, will be at once appreciated. A knowledge of such facts 
may aid in an early recognition of the disease. It must not be for- 
gotten, on the other hand, that a superficial knowledge of diseases, 
such as the laj'man may gain through reading, not infrequently leads 
to confounding comparatively harmless, noninfectious maladies with 



PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 

[Description of plates.] 

Plate XXX. The dorsal, or upper, surface of the lungs of the ox reduced to 
one-sixth of the natural size: a, a\ the right and the left principal lobes. These 
are the largest and are situated posteriorly, resting upon the diaphragm; b, b' , the 
yentral lobes, situated between the principal lobes, and c. c\ c" , the most anterior, 
or cephalic, lobes; e, c' ,e", anterior, or cephalic, lobes. The right anterior is divided 
into two lobes (c, c), the left is single (c"); d, trachea, or windpipe. 

Those portions of the lung tissue lying outside of the dotted lines are the ones 
most commonly affected in the ordinary types of pneumonia. In the majority of 
the lungs examined in the laboratory of the Bureau, which were alR'cied with 
contagious pleuro-pneumonia, the princii)al lobes («, a ) were primarily affected. 

Plate XXXI. The ventral, or middle, lobe of the right lung affected with col- 
lapse and beginning broncho-pneumonia. The light yellowish portions represent 
healthy lung tissue; the red represents the disease. It will be noticed that the 
lines between the lobules are quite faint, indicating little or no inflammation of 
the connective tissue between the lobules. The healthy lung tissue is seen to be 
raised above the level of the diseased portion. In contagious pleuro-pneumonia 
the exact reverse is the case, the diseased portions being very much larger than 
the healthy. 

Plate XXXII. Appearance of a cows lung affected with contagious pleuro- 
pneumonia when sections or slices are made of it and cut surfaces examined. 
Fig. 1 . Transverse section through the right principal lobe in a case of acute pleuro- 
pneumoni;i. The area drawn includes the aii" tubes, veins, and arteries, and illus- 
trates the great thickening of the interlobular connective tissue into broad whitish 
bands, and of the walls of the air tubes, veins, and arteries: o, air tube cut 
obliquely; o, air tube cut directly across: b, arteries cut across: c, large vein com- 
pletely occluded by a thi-ombus, or plug, formed during life. The great thicken- 
ing of the walls of the artery and vein in this disease is especially brought out by 
stating that in the healthy lung they are so thin as to be easily overlooked. Fig. 2. 
Transverse section of the principal lobe in a case of acute pleuro-pneumonia, 
illustrating the different kinds of hepatization or consolidatif)n of the lung. These 
are indicated by the different colors from dark red to reddish yellow. This varia- 
tion of color is regarded by some as the real marbling characteristic of pleuro- 
pneumonia, while the whitish bands penetrating the lung tissue in all directions 
constitute the true marbling according to other observers. 

Plate XXXIIl illustrates what are called infarctions in pleuro-pneumonia. 
The right half of the figure shows nearly normal lung tissue. The le't represents 
a blackish mass in which the lung tissue is filled with blood and solidified. This 
is caused by the plugging of the vein carrying away the blootl from this portion. 
The heart forces the blood through the artery into the tissue at considerable pres- 
sure, but. owing to the fact that its return is prevented, the minute blood vessels 
rupture and the air vesicles become distended with blood, which coagulates and 
causes the firmness of the tissue. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxx 




--t 



Haines del 



Upper, OR Dorsal, surface of the Lungs ofthe Ox 

('/i2 NATURAL SIZE.) 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate XXXI 



V 




Haines del 



lUS B!EN SI CO.N.Y. 



Broncho- Pneumonia 



i 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxxii 




Fie.r 




Haines del 



Fig li 

Contagious Pleuro- pneumonia. 



JS BIEN & CO.W 



n 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxxiii 




1 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. . 377 

such as are truly dangerous (foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, etc.), 
and causes temporary jmnics among stock owners. 

Rinderpest has its home, according to some authorities, in the terri- 
tory around the Black Sea and the Volga River in Russia; according to 
others, in Central Asia. Thence it has been conveyed it various times 
by cattle to nearly every country of Europe and Asia, where it has 
proved a veritable bovine scourge. It probably visited Europe as 
early as the beginning of the Christian era, and the migrations of 
people from the far East have since then introduced the disease from 
time to time. Especially during the eighteenth century it was more 
or less prevalent in Europe, owing to the frequent wars, during which 
herds of cattle were brought from eastern Europe and Asia to supply 
the demands of the armies. It prevailed in Europe during the Franco- 
Prussian war. At present it exists in Russia, South Africa, and the 
Philippines. 

The virus is conveyed from one country to another chiefly by means 
of infected cattle, although infected hides, wool, and food ma}' play 
an important part in its dissemination. The railroad facilities of the 
present, which furnish the means of such rapid communication, are 
particularly liable to aid in the spread of the disease. 

In the past rinderpest has been supposed to be identical with various 
human diseases, among them smallpox and typhoid fever. These sup- 
positions are unfounded, and the view of authorities to-day is that it 
is a disease of a peculiar kind, not identical with an}' other known 
infectious disease. 

The contagion of rinderpest. — The cause of rinderpest must be 
looked for among microorganisms— most likely bacteria. However, 
the investigations made thus far for this causal factor have been 
fruitless, although certain recent experiments would indicate that 
the unseen microbe is of such dimensions that it is withheld by the 
dense bacterial filters, but passes through the more porous ones. It 
was formerly supposed by various authorities that rinderpest virus 
appeared spontaneously under the influence of deteriorated food and 
long and exhausting drives, also during unusual meteorological con- 
ditions. This view, however, is no longer maintained. It is probable 
that the disease in its home in Asia is perpetuated by continual infec- 
tion of fresh animals, and some authorities even go so far as to believe 
that the disease would be entirely stamped out, even in its native 
haunts, by a destruction of all sick and infected herds. However this 
may be, the success of such an undertaking would largely depend on 
the nature of the cause. If a strictly parasitic organism, like the con- 
tagion of pleuro-pneumonia, it might be completely extirpated in this 
way. If, however, the germs or bacteria may live and multiply out- 
side of the bovine body, in the soil, water, or in some other animal, 
extirpation would be impossible. 

The virus may be transmitted from sick to healtliy animals in a 



378 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

variety of ways, both direct and indirect. It is said to be present in 
the various excreta of the diseased, such as the discharges from the 
nose, and the saliva, the urine, and the manure. It retains its vitality 
outside of the body in a moist state for months, and the disease is 
reported to hav^ developed after feeding hay a year after it has lain 
in an infected stable. Hence manure and the fodder and bedding 
soiled with the discharges may convey the disease. Persons may 
carry the virus on their shoes, clothing, and implements. Even small 
animals, such as cats and rats, which frequent barns and stables have 
been looked upon as carriers of the virus. 

Cattle are very susceptible to the disease, and in its virulent type 
all those exposed are said to become infected. Buffaloes, sheep, and 
goats are likewise susceptible, but in a less degree. 

It is also claimed that animals after having passed through one 
attack are able to resist successfully future attacks. Inoculation with 
virus is said to produce immunity, but the process of inoculation itself 
is followed by death in manj' cases. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of rinderpest are not \&Ty characteristic, 
and hence the diagnosis of a suspected case in the beginning of an 
invasion is attended with difficulties. Certain appearances which are 
characteristic of one epizootic may be absent in another. Different 
observers are not quite agreed as to the most constant and imi^ortant. 

The period of incubation, i. e., the time elapsing between the expo- 
sure to infection and the earliest outward symptoms, varies from three 
to nine days. Then the first sign is a very high fever temperature, which 
may reach 107° F. The heat of the skin varies in different parts of 
the body, and may be felt at the base of the ears and horns. Repeated 
chills are frequently observed. The pulse reaches 50 to 60 beats per 
minute, and may rise to 90 or 100 in very severe attacks. 

The animal manifests great debility. The head droops and rests 
on some object of support. One or both ears may droop. The coat 
is staring and the muzzle dry. The secretion of milk diminishes very 
rapidly. Within twelve to twenty hours the usual quantity may have 
become reduced one-half or two-thirds. The back is arched, and the 
four limbs are brought together under the body. 

As the disease progresses, symptoms with reference to the digestive 
and respiratory organs become prominent. The mucous membrane 
of the mouth and the nose, as well as that of the rectum and vagina, 
becomes reddened, either in patches or diffusely, and assumes a scarlet 
hue. The discharges, at first firm, become softer, and soon diarrhea 
sets in. Tliis is said to be one of the most constant symptoms. The 
rectum may become everted and paralj^zed, and the bowels move 
si)ontaneously. Thn discharges become fetid, viscid, and streaked 
with blood. Coughing is a common s^'mjitom, and b}'^ some considered 
characteristic. It is associated with discharges from the nose and 
vagina and dribbling of saliva from the mouth. The eyes also are 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 379 

affected. There is an increased formation of a viscid secretion which 
flows down the face. 

Another series of changes prominent in some epizootics and mild or 
absent in others are the ulcers, or so-called "erosions," in the mouth. 
These begin as red patches and streaks. The mucous membrane in 
sucli localities is converted into a grayish white slough, which, when 
shed, leaves a small erosion, or ulcer. At the same time similar changes 
may go on in the skin of the thighs, the udder, or the scrotum, and 
about the vagina, which lead to small slouglis. 

In severe cases, which are the most common in the susceptible cattle 
of western Europe, death ensues four to seven days after the first 
appearance of the disease, and is preceded by great emaciation and 
debilit}', fetid, purulent discharges from nose and mouth, and the 
relaxed rectum and vagina. 

After death, if the animal be opened and the organs carefully exam- 
ined, the chief changes will be found in the digestive organs. The 
lining membrane of the mouth and pharynx is covered with mucus, 
is reddened in spots, and shows superficial yellowish gray, cheesy 
patches, which represent dead tissue and when removed expose ulcer- 
ated depressions. The same reddening in spots and the yellowish 
gray, cheesy deposits or patches are found in the fourth stomach, the 
small intestines, and more rarely in the cecum, while the third stom- 
ach, or manyplies, is more or less imi)acted with dr}^, hard food. Simi- 
lar changes may be found on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, 
larynx, trachea, the uterus, vagina, and rectum. The lungs may be 
injected, edematous, or pneumonic. The heart muscle is pale and 
flabby, and frequently hemorrhages are observed in its internal mem- 
brane. The liver may be pale or injected with blood, and at times 
shows hemorrhages beneath its capsule. The bile is thin and watery 
in consistence. The kidneys may be inflamed or contain small hem- 
orrhages within their substance or under the capsule. The lymphatic 
glands may be swollen and injected or even hemorrhagic. 

Treatment. — On account of the danger of spreading the infection, 
neither medicinal treatment nor inoculation is permitted in European 
countries, with the exception of Russia, where the disease is more 
generally dift"used. The most effective method of exterminating rin- 
derpest in those districts in which the disease is not indigenous has 
been found to be the slaughter of all affected and exposed animals. 
Where the disease is general, successful efforts adopted for its con- 
trol have followed the immunization by inoculation of the exposed 
animals and a strict application of appropriate sanitary measures. 
This protective inoculation has been practiced with very gratif3ang 
results in Russia, South Africa, and in the Philippine Islands. An 
active immunity is thus induced in susceptible animals wliicli lasts 
until the danger from exposure to the disease is over. This immu- 
nity may be attained (1) by the inoculation of pure bile from an animal 



380 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

whicli recently died of rinderpest, (2) by the inoculation of glycerinated 
bile, followed by pure bile or virulent blood, or (3) by the simultaneous 
inoculation of strong standardized serum and virulent blood. 

The latter method has been adopted by the United States Govern- 
ment in its endeavor to exterminate the disease in the Philippines 
and to protect the cattle and carabaos against rinderpest after their 
importation into those islands. Owing to the existence of this and 
other infectious diseases in the Philippine Islands, an order has been 
issued bj^ the Department of Agriculture prohibiting the landing of 
any live stock or animals of any kind from the Philippines at any of 
the ports of the United States or the dependencies thereof. This pro- 
hibition removes the greatest source of danger to which the United 
States is exposed as the result of its intercourse with the Philippine 
Islands. The introduction of rinderpest from those countries from 
which we import animals is rendered extremely improbable, esjiecially 
in live animals, owing to its short period of incubation and to the 
sixty-day quarantine for cattle and fifteen-day quarantine for sheep 
and other ruminants which are at present enforced in the United 
States at all jjorts of entry. 

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 

This disease is also known as epizootic aphtha, aphthous fever, infec- 
tious aphtha, eczema epizootica, and may be defined as an acute, 
highly contagious fever of a specific nature, characterized by the erup- 
tion of vesicles, or blisters, in the mouth, around the coronets of the 
feet, and between the toes. 

The tremendous ravages of the disease are seen in the number and 
variety of species attacked. While it may be regarded as essentially 
a disease of cattle, hogs would seem to be as easy a prey. Almost in 
the same grade of receptivity come sheep and goats. Next in order of 
liability come the buffalo, American bison, camel, deer, chamois, 
llama, giraffe, and antelope. Horses, dogs, cats, and even poultry 
have been victims of the infection, the last three classes being par- 
ticularly dangerous as carriers of the contagion. Man himself is not 
immune, and the frequency of his infection by coming in contact with 
the diseased animals themselves is established by numerous observa- 
tions. Children suffer as a result of drinking the unboiled milk from 
infected cattle. In such cases the symptoms resemble those observed 
in animals. There is fever and difficulty in swallowing, followed by 
an eruption of blisters in the mouth and very rarely by similar ones 
on the fingers. The disease is very seldom fatal, and chiefly restricted 
to children and to those adults who handle sick animals or drink large 
quantities of unboiled milk. Some veterinarians regard the human 
affection as by no means uncommon in countries where foot-and-mouth 
disease prevails, but that the disturbance of health is usually too 
slight to come to the notice of the family doctor. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 381 

The disease prevails in European countries and occasions great 
losses. Although the actual mortality is quite low, serious losses 
result from the diminution of the milk secretion and consequent inter- 
ference with the business of the dairy. There is likewise more or less 
loss of flesh in animals. 

Every appearance of foot-and-mouth disease upon American soil 
has been quickly followed by the total suppression of the disease, and 
it will therefore be necessary to go abroad for evidences of the devas- 
tation which always follows in the wake of an outbreak of this scourge 
and for estimates of the loss which it entails upon the farmers and 
stock owners in affected districts. 

According to the very accurate statistics collected by the German 
Empire, 431,235 head of cattle, 230,868 sheep and goats, and 153,808 
swine were affected with the disease in that country in 1890. The 
infection, quite insignificant in 1886, had been gradually spreading 
until it reached the enormous figures given above in 1890. During 
this same year it prevailed in France, Italy, Belgium, Austria- 
Hungary, Switzerland, Roumania, and Bulgaria. 

The losses from this disease in England in the yeai- 1883 were esti- 
mated at $5,000,000. An English practitioner of wide experience states 
that it is none too high to place the loss upon each animal that becomes 
infected but that ultimately recovers at $20, when milch cows or feed- 
ing cattle that are nearly finished are under consideration. On store 
cattle and calves the loss is proportionally less. 

Estimating the losses upon the surviving animals from this basis 
and adding the value of those that die, it will be seen that an outbreak 
of this disease may quickly result in direct losses of many millions of 
dollars. In addition to this, a considerable spread of the contagion 
in this country would entail the entire loss of our export trade in live 
animals, interruptions of domestic commerce, and quarantines which 
would suri^ass the loss caused by the ravages of the disease. 

Contrar}^ to most other infections diseases, foot-and-mouth disease 
may attack the same animals repeatedly. The immunity or protec- 
tion conferred is thus only of limited duration. Hence protective 
inoculation with the virus, in whatever manner it ma^'^ be practiced, 
is not only of no use, but decidedly dangerous, as it will introduce the 
disease. It is, however, not uncommon in European countries to 
practice inoculation after the disease has ajipeared in a herd in order 
to hasten its progress. This is highly recommended by some, since 
it not only hastens the infection, but the disease is apt to be milder 
and limited to the mouth. It consists in rubbing with the finger or a 
piece of cloth a little of the mucus from the mouth of a diseased ani- 
mal upon the inner surface of the upper lip of those to be inoculated. 
From 50 to 75 per cent of the inoculated animals take the disease. 

Cmise. — As with other communicable diseases, the source and ori- 
gin of foot-and-mouth disease has given rise to much speculation. 



382 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

The disease had been known in Europe for centuries, but it was nob 
until a comparatively recent date that the erroneous conceptions of 
its spontaneous origin as a result of climatic and meteorological condi- 
tions, exhausting journeys, etc., were abandoned. It is now con- 
ceded that foot-and-mouth disease is propagated by a specific virus 
and that every outbreak starts from some preexisting outbreak. 

The causative agent of this disease has not been isolated, although 
numerous attempts have been made to cultivate and stain it. Experi- 
ments have shown that the virus will pass through standard germ- 
proof filters, thus indicating its minute size and the reason it has not 
been detected by the staining methods. The contagion may be found 
in the serum of the vesicles on the mouth, feet, and udder; in the 
saliva, milk, and various secretions and excretions; also in the blood 
during the rise of temperature. 

A wide distribution of the virus and a rapid infection of a herd is 
the result. Animals may be infected directly, as by licking, and in 
calves by sucking, or indirectly by fomites, such as infected manure, 
hay, utensils, drinking troughs, railway cars, animal markets, barn- 
yards, and pastures. Human beings may carry the virus on their 
clothing and transmit it on their hands when milking, since the udder 
is occasionally the seat of the eruption. Milk in a raw state may also 
transmit the disease to animals fed with it. 

The observations made by some veterinarians would lead us to sup- 
pose that the virus is quite readily destroyed. It is claimed that 
stables thoroughly cleaned become safe after drying for a short time. 
Hence litter of all kinds, such as manure, soiled hay and straw, may 
remain infective for a longer time because they do not dry out. 
Other authorities maintain that the virus is quite tenacious and may 
live in stables even so long as a year. They also state that animals 
which have passed through the disease may be a source of infection 
for several months after recovery. 

Sijinptomfi. — In three to six days after the exposure of the ani- 
mal to the infection, the disease makes its appearance. It is first 
indicated by the animal suifering from a chill, quickly followed 
by an invasion of fever, which may cause the temperature to rise as 
liigh as 106° F. Following this in one or two days it will be noticed 
that small vesicles about the size of a hemp seed or a pea are making 
their appearance upon the mucous membranes of the mouth at the 
border and upper surface of the tongue near the tip, the inside of the 
cheeks, on the gums and the inner surface of the lips, or on the mar- 
gin of the dental pad. These little blebs contain a j'^ellowish watery 
fluid and gradually become more extensive as the disease advances. 
Soon after the eruptions have appeared in the mouth of the animal it 
will be noticed that there is considerable swelling, redness, and ten- 
derness manifest about the feet, at the coronet and between the digits 
of each foot. Eruptions similar to those within the mouth make their 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 383 

appearance upon these swollen regions of the foot a day or two later, 
and at this stage it is usual to find that like lesions have made their 
aj)pearance upon the perineum of the victim. In the case of milch 
cows the udder and moi-e particularly the teats show the same vesicu- 
lar eruption, but the latter as the result of milking soon become cov- 
ered with reddened spots deprived of the superficial layer of skin and 
may develop deep, obstinate fissures. 

As soon as the disease has become well established the patient 
evinces pain when attempting to eat; in fact, the appetite is often so 
seriously affected that all food is refused and the animal uneasil}'' 
opens and shuts its mouth with a characteristic smacking sound, 
while strings of cohesive, ropy saliva hang suspended from the lips. 
With the advance of the disease the vesicles have widened and 
extended until they may reach a diameter ranging from that of a dime 
to that of a silver dollar. These rupture soon after their appearance, 
sometimes on the first day, more rarely on the second or third day. 
After they have ruptured the gra3ash white membrane forming the 
blister may remain attached for a da}"^ or more or disappear speedily 
and leave deeply reddened sensitive spots or erosions behind, both 
within the mouth and upon the coronet and betwPien the claws of the 
feet. The same ulceration may be noticed in cases in which the teats 
of milch cows have become affected, and instances are reported in 
which sloughing of the tegument immediately around the ulcer upon 
the udder has occurred. Owing to the tough, fibrous nature of the 
bovine skin, it is exceeding rare for sloughing to occur upon anj'' part 
of the body other than those mentioned. 

The attack upon the feet of an animal is frequently manifested in 
all four feet at once, but one or more of the feet may entirely escape 
and remain unaffected throughout the course of the disease. As the 
feet become sensitive and sore the animal lies down persistently, and 
it has. been found that bed sores develoj) with amazing rapidity in all 
such cases and wholly baffle all attempts at treatment until after .the 
patient has regained its feet. 

The disease may attack some of the internal organs before it 
appears upon any of the external tissues. These cases are very liable 
to prove quickly fatal. The animal dies from paralysis of the heart 
due to the formation of poisonous principles within the system, or it 
may suffocate by reason of the action of these same poisons upon the 
tissues of the lungs, or it may choke to death as a result of paralysis 
of the throat. 

In cases of serious aftection of the udder the erosions will often be 
found located within the passages of the teats, resulting in a " caked " 
udder, and the same toxic poisoning, which is the cause of death in 
the apoplectiform types just mentioned, may arise from this source. 
In any event the milk from such cases will be found dangerous for 
use, causing fatal diarrhea in sucking calves or young pigs and 



384 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



serious illness in human consumers. The milk obtained from cows 
suft'erin.ii^ with foot-and-mouth disease is not readily converted into 
either butter or cheese, but remains thick, slimy, and inert in spite of 
churning and attempts at curdling. The ulceration of the interdigital 
tissue may extend to the ligaments of the fetlock or produce disease 
of the joint or bone. Pregnant animals may abort. In pigs, sheep, 
and goats the lesions in the foot are most common, but both forms 
may be observed or only the mouth lesions. 

When the disease has become fully established it will be found that 
the duration of the attack will vary greatly with different animals. 
From ten to twenty days are usually required for the recovery of the 
normal appetite and spirits in mild outbreaks, Avhile the return to a 
full flow of milk, in the case of milch cows, is seldom witnessed before 
the arrival of the following season. 

In the malignant type of the disease it requires from three months 
to a year for an animal to recover. The mortality is not great, gen- 
erally about 1 to 3 per cent, but in severe outbreaks it may reach 5 
per cent. It is more fatal in young animals that have been fed on 
infected milk, and produces death in from 60 to 80 per cent of these 
cases as a result of gastro-enteritis. 

Diagnosis.~The recognition of this affection should not, as a rule, 
be difficult, especially when the disease is known to be in the vicin- 
ity; in fact, the group of symptoms form a clinical picture too decided 
to be doubted. The combination of high fever, vesicular inflamma- 
tion of the mouth, and hot, painful, swollen condition of the feet, 
followed in twenty-four to fortj'-eight hours by the appearance of 
numerous small vesicles varying in size from that of a pea to that of 
a hazel nut on the udder and feet and in the mouth should prevent any 
serious or long-continued error in the diagnosis. However, in the inoc- 
ulation of calves we have a certain and final test. In twenty-four to 
seventy-two hours after inoculation the calves present the character- 
istic vesicles. Such inoculation should be practiced, however, only by 
officials who are properly authorized to deal with contagious diseases. 
Differential diagnosis.— It can be asserted positively that no dis- 
ease of cattle closely simulates the symptoms of the eruption of aph- 
thous fexev on the lining membrane of the mouth. Cowpox or horse- 
pox may be accidentally transmitted by inoculation. But the eruption 
in the "pox" goes on to the development of a pustule, while in foot- 
and-mouth disease the eruption is never more than a vesicle, even 
though the contained fluid may become turbid. 

The inoculation test in the case of cowpox does not respond with 
fever and eruption for at least t«n days, and often longer. 

In mycotic stomatitis or inflammation of the lining membrane of 
the mouth the entire buccal cavity is inflamed and in a few days the 
croupous membrane forms, peels off, and exposes a raw, bleeding sur- 
face, while the thin skin between the toes may also be inflamed. The 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 385 

previous history of the case; the failure of the vesicles, if any appear, 
to spread extensively; the absence of vesicular eruptions on other 
portions of the body, notably the udder and teats; and, characteris- 
tically, the hoof, together with the absence of infection in tlie herd 
and the complete negative character of inoculation of calves, distin- 
guishes between the local disease named and foot-and-mouth disease. 

The lesion resulting from ergotism may be differentiated from those 
of foot-and-mouth disease by the lack of eruptions in the mouth, and 
by the location of the disease at the tips of the ears, end of the tail, 
or upon the lower part of the legs, usually below the knees or hocks. 
The lesion of ergotism does not take the form of pustules or blisters, 
but manifests itself first as a swelling about the ankle, which later 
may slough and circumscribe the limb, forming a deep crack, extend- 
ing entirely around the limb and forming a distinct line of demarca- 
tion between the healthy skin above and the diseased below. The 
absence of ulcerous sores on the coronet and between the claws, 
together with a healthy condition of the membranes of the mouth 
and the knowledge that the lesion upon the limb in question extends 
uninterruptedly around it, should point conclusively to a diagnosis 
of ergotism and to the exclusion of all fears of foot-and-mouth disease. 

In foul foot, or ground itch, of cattle the inflammation of the skin 
and toes is general and not in certain spots as in foot-and-mouth dis- 
ease; the mouth remains unaffected and the presence of the disease 
may be traced to filth and poor drainage. 

The severer forms of the disease might be confounded with certain 
general diseases. Where gastro-intestinal sj^mptoms predominate 
acute gastric catarrh or inflammation of the intestines might be 
thought of. Involvement of the lungs might lead to a diagnosis of 
acute congestion of the lungs or pneumonia. The distinction is 
apparent in these diseases by the lack of vesicular eruption on the 
mucous membrane or skin, and also by lack of evidences of infection 
in the herd or neighboring animals. 

Propliylaxis. — The measures to be adopted to prevent the spread of 
the affection must take into consideration the highly infectious nature 
of the disease, its ease of dissemination, and the liability of the virus 
to live a saprophytic life for long periods. Great care should there- 
fore be observed in keeping healthy animals unexposed to the con- 
tagion. When an outbreak occurs in a community, the owner should 
make every effort to keep other animals from coming in contact with 
his diseased cattle. This especially aj^lies to dogs, cats, goats, and 
poultry, which usually have access to the stables and barnyards and 
in this way furnish excellent means for disseminating the infectious 
l^rinciple. He should be equally particular in prohibiting any person 
from coming onto his premises, and especially if the latter be an 
attendant or owner or in any way connected with cattle. Such a herd 
8267—04 35 



386 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

may be placed under quarantine, with an inspector appointed to keep 
the premises under constant surveillance. This method, while very 
satisfactory in many instances, is rather tardy in obtaining the desired 
result. For this reason when tlie disease breaks out in a country like 
the United States, where the contagion is likely to si)read rapidly by 
means of infected cars, manure, hay and other food, and where the 
loss attendant upon its obtaining a firm foothold would result so dis- 
asti'ously, it seems that this method of temporizing is rather tedious, 
and more radical steps are required in order to suppress completely 
and totally eradicate the infection in the quickest and most thorough 
manner possible. It would therefore appear better to concentrate 
the expense incident to the extermination of foot-and-mouth disease 
by purchasing and slaughtering all affected and exposed cattle after 
judicious appraisement. The carcasses of these animals should be 
totally destroyed, preferably by cremation, or otherwise by burying 
them in a hole six feet deep and covering them with air-slaked lime. 
The infected stable should be disinfected by thoroughly cleaning 
it, scrubbing the floor with hot water, brushing down all loose dust 
from the walls, and tearing off all woodwork which is partly decayed. 
Then the whole interior of the stable should be covered with a 
good coat of limewash containing 1 part of a 40 per cent solution of 
formaldehyde (which is sold by the drug trade under the commer- 
cial name of formalin) to 30 parts of the limewa.sh, or 4 ounces of 
formalin to each gallon of limewash. Another efficient wash for this 
Ijurpose may be prepared by adding G ounces of chloride of lime to 
each gallon of limewash. All stable utensils should be thoroughly 
cleaned and disinfected by the application of a solution containing 4 
ounces of formalin to a gallon of water, or G ounces of crude carbolic 
acid to each gallon of water. The manure should be burned or 
spread over ground, other than meadow land, that is to be turned 
under. No other cattle should be purchased for at least thirty days 
after the complete disinfection of the premises. 

The method of eradicating the recent outbi-eak of foot-and-mouth 
disease in New England consisted in the rigid quarantine of all 
infected premises and of the animals upon them, in slaughtering the 
diseased and exposed animals at the earliest practicable moment, 
and in thoroughly disinfecting the stables and the contents of the 
buildings in which they had been sheltered. The progress of this 
work, the confinement of the disease to four of the New England 
States, and its complete eradication in a comparatively short time 
demonstrates in a striking manner the efficacy of slaughtering, and the 
futility of relj'ing upon quarantine alone in stamping out the disease. 

Ino(.*ulation has been adopted in some countries in order to have the 
disease spread quicklj' through the herds, and while this practice has 
undoubted value where the disease is indigenous, it is not desirable 
in this country and should not be adopted. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 387 

Medicinal treatment. — In some mild attacks of foot-and-mouth 
disease great benefit may be derived from a judicious attempt to 
relieve the symptoms and thus assist nature in overcoming the dis- 
ease, but the great danger attached to the presence of an infectious 
disease in any noninfected locality for twelve to twenty days, while 
the disease is running its course, must appeal to the sanitarian and 
prevent indiscriminate medicinal treatment. 

However, beneficial results have been obtained hy the local applica- 
tion of disinfecting and astringent lotions. A teaspoonful of alum, 
chlorate of potash, boracic acid, or one-half teaspoonful of the tinc- 
ture of aloes and myrrh placed in the mouth has proved efficacious. 
The Infected animals may be made to stand from five to ten minutes 
in a shallow trough containing medicinal agents such as 1 to 1,000 
bichloride of mercury, 3 per cent carbolic acid or creolin. Where the 
teats and udder are affected the application of carbolized vaseline, 
camphor ointment, or borated glycerine has given excellent results. 
If the symptoms of heart weakness are manifest, give digitalis, cam- 
phor, or alcohol, while excessive fever may be reduced with j)henacetin. 

The complications that may follow the disease are usually the result 
of contaminating bacteria, and it is, therefore, desirable to have the 
animals and their surroundings kept in as cleanly a condition as pos- 
sible. The cattle shoald be fed on soft meal or grain and given a 
plentiful supply of clean water. 

SEPTICEMIA AND PYEMIA. 

These two names are applied to diseased conditions which are so 
nearlj" alike in their symptoms that it is sometimes difficult to distin- 
guish the one from the other. Indeed, the name pyosepticemia, or 
septicopyemia, is often applied where it is impossible to make a dis- 
tinction between septicemia and pyemia or where each is equally 
responsible for the diseased condition. The name septicemia is 
derived from two Greek words meaning "poison" and "blood,'' and 
signifies that the germ lives in the blood, hence the use of the term 
"blood poisoning" for this disease. Pj'^emia is likewise derived from 
two Greek words, meaning "pus" and "blood," find is that form of 
septicemia caused by pus-producing organisms and characterized by 
secondary abscesses. 

Causes. — Neither of these diseases is brought about, strictly speak- 
ing, by any specific organism, hence neither can be looked upon as a 
specific disease. The organisms most frequently found in cases of 
septicemia are, on the whole, the same as those of pyemia, and may 
be either pus cocci, the bacillus coli, or other pus- producing organ- 
isms. These organisms are often found as secondary invaders in 
other diseases, such as advanced cases of tuberculosis, in which 
cases they are responsible for the formation of pus. 

Aside from the causative organism, or, in other words, the active 



388 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

cause, there are many secondary causes. The most important of 
these in pyemia is a break in continuity of tlie protective covering, as 
a wound, whicli affords an entrance into the tissues for the organisms. 
Among the different varieties of wounds may be mentioned cuts, 
bruises, punctures, burns, chemical or frozen wounds, and compound 
fractui-es of bones. Injuries received during i3arturition, stoppage 
of the milli ducts, and infection of the umbilicus in the newly born 
are also frequent causes of pyemia. Septicemia usually follows sur- 
gical wounds, local suppuration, enteritis, bronchitis — in fact, wherever 
there is a local lesion of any kind permitting germs to enter the blood. 
Septicemia was formerly applied to designate the condition in which 
the organisms were localized, but in which their toxins were diffused 
in the blood. Pj^emia was made to represent that condition where the 
organisms were localized, but in which the pus was transported by 
the blood. These terms now are applied to conditions in which both 
the organisms and their toxins, or the pus, are present in the blood. 
The term septicemia is indicated where intoxication is the more pro- 
nounced s3"mptom and pj^emia where pus formation and metastatic 
or secondarjr abscess formation are observed. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of both diseases include primarilj'^ a 
high fever (104° to 107° F.). Coupled with this there is disinclination 
to move, the animal is depressed and not cognizant of its surround- 
ings. The pulse is rapid, small, and feeble, respiration increased, 
mucous membrane injected, swollen, and of a yellowish tinge. Ai^pe- 
tite is lost and death follows in the case of septicemia in from two to 
four days. In pj^emia the symptoms come on more slowly and are not 
so intense as in septicemia, while the course of the disease is longer, 
lasting from six days to four weeks. The mortality is not so great as 
in septicemia, but the period of convalescence is always long. 

Lesions. — Septicemia is characterized b}^ the destructive changes in 
the blood, which is chocolate color, noncoagulable, and swarms with 
bacteria. The lining membranes of the heart aj-e studded with i-ed 
spots, often.running together to form a large hemorrhagic area. The 
lungs, liver, and kidney's may also show these hemorrhages. The 
spleen is enlarged and full of black blood. The cadaver decomposes 
very rapidly and in some cases forms great quantities of fetid gas. 
In i^yemia, in addition to these lesions, there are abscesses formed in 
the various organs throughout the body. If tlie disease develops 
slowly a postmortem shows these abscesses to be the chief altei'a- 
tions. The pus content is usually greenish, stained with blood, and 
contains strings of fibrous tissue and necrosed matter. 

Treatment. — Treatment is almost futile in advanced cases of either 
disease. Septicemia is usuallj^ fatal and pyemia frequently so. Pre- 
vention, and the immediate treatment of local infections, are the 
surest means of combating these diseases. For local treatment of 
wounds the usual antiseptics are indicated, such as 5 per cent creolin, 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 389 

or carbolic acid, or one one-thousandth bichloride of mercury solu- 
tion. For pyemia, where the abscesses are near the skin, open them 
and treat antiseptically bj' injecting any of the previous mentioned 
germicides. General and heart stimulants are indicated, such as a 
drench containing digitalis 2 drams and alcohol 2 ounces. Quinine 
and calomel in repeated small doses of one-half dram each three times 
a day are sometimes beneficial. Camphor in the form of oil of cam- 
phor (camphor dissolved in 10 parts of sweet oil) is a good stimulant 
and lias some antiseptic properties, which makes it a valuable drug in 
combating these diseases when given in doses of 2 drams three times 
daily. 

HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA. 

Hemorrhagic septicemia is a name applied to a highly fatal, infec- 
tious disease existing in various species of domestic and wild animals, 
due to a microorganism having definite biological characters and pos- 
sessing the properties of producing clearly defined and characteristic 
lesions. 

This causal agent, Bacterium hovisepticum, belongs to the same 
group of cocco-bacilli as those causing chicken cholera, swine plague, 
and rabbit septicemia, and may be described as an ovoid, nonmotile, 
polar staining bacterium with rounded ends, xs^ott of ^^ inch wide by 
Tifoiro of Jin inch long, sometimes seen in pairs and sometimes in chains. 

Various names have been applied to this disease, and though the 
causative agent and the distinctive lesions are well knoAvn it is more 
than likely that the affection is seldom recognized. It was described 
by Bollinger in 1878, and named Wild und Rinderseuche, from its 
having affected deer, wild boars, cattle, and horses in an epizootic 
which swept over Germany at that time. However, before this sev- 
eral epizootics of what was evidently the same disease had been well 
described, notably that which occurred in England in 1854. Since 
then it has occurred in epizootic and enzootic forms in many sections 
of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In this country the disease 
has been observed in Texas, Tennessee, New York, Minnesota, Penn- 
sylvania, District of Columbia, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Other 
names given to it are game and cattle disease, buffalo disease, bar- 
bone, pasteurellosis bovina, ghotwa, and infectious pneumoenteritis. 

In earlier times it was evidently confounded with gloss anthrax, and 
even now it is probably mistaken in a great man 3^ instances for anthrax, 
blackleg, cornstalk disease, and cerebro-spinal meningitis. 

The disease is essentially a septicemia, or blood jjoisoning, and the 
microbic invasion occurs from inoculation probably either through 
abrasions of the skin or by injury to the mucous membranes from 
coarse fodder, etc. Moore and Smith have found bacteria belonging 
to this group in the mouths and nasal cavities of healthy animals, 
including cattle ; but these organisms proved to be nonpathogenic. 



390 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

As is well known, however, many pathogenic germs at times exist in 
a saprophytic state, and it is not hard to conceive how a microbe may 
cease such existence and assume parasitic or pathogenic properties 
when the surroundings are eminently favorable. This may be a con- 
necting link in the etiology of sporadic outbreaks of the disease where 
every other hypothesis as to its genesis seems untenable. Tlie disease 
seems to occur most frequently in swampy or mucky localities or in pas- 
tures receiving the overflow from infected fields. It is said to occur 
usually in the spring of the year, when the melting snows and rains 
bring to the surface the subterranean waters from rich soils contain- 
ing nitrogenous materials in which the bacteria have been existing. 
In a great many instances there does not seem to be any plausible 
explanation for an outbreak of the disease and one can only surmise 
as to its origin. 

SyrnjJtorns. — Three forms of the disease are recognized, based upon 
the distribution of the lesions — the superficial, or cutaneous, the pec- 
toral, or thoracic, and the intestinal form. The latter is a usual 
accompaniment of the other two, and may be mild or severe. Natu- 
rally, the symptoms vary according to the violence of the attack and 
to the particular form of disease with which the animal is affected. 
In the superficial, or cutaneous, form the presence of a swollen tongue, 
throat, and dewlap, or even of the lower portion of the legs, gives us a 
clew to the trouble. An entii'e loss of appetite occurs, and in milch 
cows there is a diminution of the milk secretion. The temperature 
may be only slightly elevated, but it is usually very high. Salivation 
is set up due to the inflammation of the mouth and pharynx. Unsuc- 
cessful efliorts at eating and swallowing are made. There maj^ be 
difficulty in breathing, depending on the amount of involvement of 
the lai-ynx, trachea, bronchi, or lungs. There may be a blood-stained 
discharge from the nostrils, and the mucous membrane of the same 
will often show punctiform hemorrhages. The pulmonary form 
shows the same symptoms as croupous pneumonia with a frequent 
suifocative cough and oppressed breathing, or dyspnea. When the 
intestines are involved the patient strains to defecate, and passes 
shreds of intestinal mucus along with blood-stained feces. The urine 
may also be tinged with blood. Finally a severe diarrhea takes place, 
tho animal becomes correspondingly weak, and death takes place in 
twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Cases may die in as short a j)eriod 
as six to eight hours, while in the pectoral form of the disea.se the 
animal may linger six or eight days. Cases have been reported which 
became chronic and in which death did not take place for a month 
or more. In some of the cases running an acute course, symptoms 
of toxemia are present; there is a lack of sensation of the skin, stag- 
gering gait, trembling, eyes fixed, neck at times bent to one side, and 
tlie eyes showing a wild expression. At times the animals appear as 
if in pain and look around at the flanks. In the pectoral form they 



IKFECTI0U8 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 391 

may stand with the foro legs wide apart iu evident effort to breathe 
more freely. Sometimes there is a champing of the jaws and a very 
free flow of glairy saliva dropi^ing from the mouth. 

The prognosis is decidedly unfavorable and 80 to 90 per cent of 
the cases result fatally. 

Lesions. — The characteristic lesions of hemorrhagic septicemia 
consist of hemorrhagic areas in the subcutaneous, subserous, and 
muscular tissues, the lymph glands, and the viscera; in fact, they are 
distributed more or less widely throughout the body and vary in size 
from a mere speck to the diameter of a half dollar or even larger. 
The superficial form presents itself first as a doughy tumefaction of 
the skin about the region of the throat, neck, dewlap, or legs, and 
which pits on pressure. This tumefaction consists essentially of a 
sero-gelatinous exudate into the subcutaneous and intermuscular 
tissues. 

Bloody extravasations may take place in subcutaneous tissues in 
various localities, but they are usually seen about the lower portion 
of the neck. The mucous membranes and submucous tissues of the 
mouth, tongue, pharynx, and larynx become involved in the process 
and are greatly thickened, inflamed, and infiltrated with serum. The 
mucous membrane becomes reddish purple, and that of the nostrils 
may in addition show hemorrhagic spots on its surface. The lym- 
I)hatic glands in this region are also swollen and infiltrated with bloody 
serum. The salivary glands are pale and dry. The i)ectoral tj^pe, 
though at times existing alone, may coexist with the cutaneous form. 
The inflammatory edema of the mouth extends to the mucous mem- 
brane of the trachea and bronchi, producing an extensive thickening 
and a yellowish infiltration. The lung shows interstitial thickening, 
due to the outpouring of serum into its meshes. It may become 
pneumonic. 

The diaphragm, heart sac, and heart walls show numerous hemor- 
rhagic points and lai'ger bloody extravasations. Sometimes there is 
a serous pleurisy, with more or less fibrinous exudate. In the intes- 
tinal form the submucous and subperitoneal tissues show alterations 
from a few hemorrhagic spots to large bloody suffusions, or even 
gelatinous infiltrations. This latter is seen about the region of the 
pancreas and in the folds of the mesentery. There is a severe hemor- 
rhagic inflammation of the intestines and a staining of the intestinal 
contents with blood. The muscular system throughout shows hemor- 
rhagic areas. The abdominal viscera, liver, spleen, and kidnej^s often 
present hemorrhagic lesions. 

Differential diagnosis. — Anthrax, which presents superficial swell- 
ings, like hemorrhagic septicemia, may be distinguished from that 
affection on postmortem examination bj^ the enlargement and engorge- 
ment of the spleen, the contents of which are soft and tarry. The 
blood of anthrax animals is very dark, and does not become light red 



392 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

on exposure to air, nor does it coagulate, while in hemorrhagic septi- 
cemia the blood is normal in appearance and coagulates. The detec- 
tion of the anthrax bacillus in the blood would be final. 

In blackleg the animals affected are usually under 2 years of age. 
The swellings are quite evident, and usually occur on the legs, above 
the knees or hocks, and are distended with gas, which crackles, or 
crepitates, when pressed upon. If one of these tumors be opened, 
a bloody serum will exude, and the contained gas gives off the 
odor of rancid butter. The internal hemorrhages ai-e not general, 
although they may occur. A microscopic examination of the juices 
f 1*0 in the tumefaction will show the blackleg bacillus. 

In cerebro-spinal meningitis the causative agent is unknown, but 
probably exists in the food. It may occur in any locality and at any 
season of the year. There are no local swellings, and cattle are not 
frequently affected. 

Cornstalk disease may be differentiated from this affection from 
the fact that it always occurs after the cattle are turned into a corn- 
stalk field, by its sudden onset, the absence of any characteristic 
sj^njitoms or postmortem lesions, and the failure to find the causative 
agent in the blood. 

In making a postmortem examination of animals affected with 
hemorrhagic septicemia; it would be well to examine the articular 
surfaces of the long bones, as it has been rej)oi'ted that they are fre- 
quently vilcerated. This should apply especiallj^ to those cases that 
have shown lameness. 

Treatment. — Treatment is absolutely useless, so far as we knoAv at 
present, and for all practical purposes prophylaxis alone should be 
relied upon. The same sanitary precautions, such as isolation, dis- 
infection, and burial or burning of all dead carcasses, should be 
observed as for anthrax and other highly infectious diseases. Sepa- 
rate the apparently well animals from the sick by placing them in a 
sei^arate, noninfected lot. Leave them here for a few days, and if 
any new cases develop change the well ones again. Thoroughly dis- 
infect all the iiremises, barns, stalls, litter, and stable utensils. 

VESICULAR ERUPTION OF THE GENITAL ORGANS. 

This contagious diseasi^ is called coital exanthema or vesicular 
exanthema, and is more or less prevalent on the Continent. It has 
also been observed in the breeding districts of the United States. It 
is the subject of legislation in Germany, and governmental statistics 
are published annually concerning its distribution in the Empire. 
According to the repoi'ts from Hungary, 492 hea<l of cattle were 
attacked during 1898, 587 in 1899, and 207 in 1900. 

A similar or perhaps identical disease of horses has the same dis- 
tribution and is transmissible from horses to cattle and vice versa. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 393 

The disease may be defined as a highly contagious eruption situated 
upon the external genital organs of both sexes and accompanied witli 
little or no general disturbance of health. The contagion, the natui-e of 
whicli remains still unknown, is transmitted mainly during copulation. 
The bull may have the disease and convey it to all the cows with 
which he comes in contact; or he may beconu' infected by one cow, 
and, although not showing the disease, ho may transmit it for sevei-al 
days after to all other cows during copulation. Simple contact 
between one cow and another may convey the disease, or the sponges 
used in cleaning the diseased may carry the virus to the healthy. It 
has also been conveyed to healthy cows by these animals lying with 
their hind quarters against infected wooden troughs. 

Symjjtoms. — The period elapsing between the infection and the 
appearance of symptoms is somewhat variable. It is usually given as 
three to six dajs. It may be briefer or much longer. In cows the 
mucous membrane of the vagina and the vulva become swollen, 
inflamed, very tender, and covered with dark-red spots. The secre- 
tion is ver}^ abundant and consists at first largely of scn-um and mucus 
resembling the white of an egg. Small vesicles tlien appear, which 
rapidly burst and are converted into excoriations or deeper ulcera- 
tions. The secretion becomes more purulent aiid is apt to dry in 
crusts about the root of the tail. The eruption is accompanied with 
much itching and difficulty in urinating. The walk ma}" be stiff and 
awkward. In bulls the eruption is situated on the prepuce and the end 
of the penis, and consists of pimples, vesicles, and ulcers, as in cows. 
It is accompanied by a little purulent discharge from the prepuce, 
itching, and ditficulty in urinating. In severe cases the inflammation 
and swelling may extend backward to the scrotum and forward upon 
the abdomen. 

The disease lasts from one to four weeks and always terminates 
in recovery. The acute stage lasts only four or five days, while 
the complete healing of the inflammation is slow. The ei'uption is 
usually accompanied by very little general disturbance. If the pain 
and irritation are severe, there may be some slight loss of appetite 
and diminished milk secretion in cows. The disease rarely causes 
abortion. Chronic catarrh of the vagina and permanent sterility fre- 
quently follow as sequelae. 

Treat nient need not be resorted to excepting in severe cases. The 
secretion and exudation should be washed off and a mild antiseptic 
applied, such as a 1 percent solution of carbolic acid (1 ounce to 3 quarts 
of water) or 2 per cent solution of lysol or creolin in water. Care 
must be taken not to carry the disease from the sick to the well by 
sponges, etc. , whicli have come in contact with the affected organs. 
These should be destroyed. To prevent the spread of the disease the 
infected animals should be kept isolated until they have recovered. 



394 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

RABIES OF CATTLE. 

Rabies is a disease preeminently affecting tlie canine race, although 
all warm-blooded animals, including man, are susceptible to the mal- 
ady, which is always communicated through bites from a preceding 
case. It has required many years of patient scientific research to lead 
the ablest investigators to a clear comprehension of the cause, nature, 
and characteristics of this affection. It was known and described sev- 
eral centuries prior to the beginning of the Christian era, and from 
the earliest dawn of histor^^ the disease has been feared and dreaded. 
Its terrible manifestations have always been surrounded Avith an 
atmosphere of awe and mystery, and it is not surprising that myths, 
fallacies, and misconceptions in regard to it have been common and 
widely accepted. As the investigations by which we have come to a 
tolerably clear understanding of the facts concerning rabies have 
been comparatively recent and have appeared for the most part in 
scientific periodicals, fallacies in regard to the disease continue to 
have a strong hold upon the public mind. For instance, it is still a 
widely prevalent belief that if persons or animals are bitten by a dog 
they are liable to become rabid if the dog should contract the disease 
at any future time. There is no foundation for this impression, and 
it would be a great comfort to many people who are now and then 
bitten by animals if the fallacj'^ of this idea were appreciated. All 
experience, both scientific and practical, goes to show that rabies is 
transmitted only by animals that are actually diseased at the time 
the bite is inflicted. Rabies is an infectious disease involving the 
nervous system and characterized by extreme excitabilit}^ and other 
nervous disorders and always terminating in death. The contagion of 
this disease has never been isolated, but the fact that it is caused by 
a specific organism principally found in the nervous system is indis- 
putable. For instance, if an emulsion of the brain of a rabid animal 
is filtered through a germ-proof filter, the filtrate will be harmless. 
This fact indicates that the infectious principle is not in solution, but 
is an organism withheld from the filtrate by the filter. This conta- 
gion can only be propagated in the body of an animal. It is trans- 
mitted naturally from one animal to another solely by bites, and the 
old idea of spontaneous appearance of the disease is absolutely falla- 
cious. It may be produced artificially b}" inoculating susceptible 
animals with an emulsion of the brain or spinal cord, as well as the 
saliva, milk, and other secretions of the affected animal. The blood, 
on the contrary, seems to be free from the infectious principle. The 
saliva contains the virus, which, under natural conditions, is intro- 
duced into or under the skin on the tooth of the rabid animal. The 
disease is widespread, being found in many countries of Europe, 
Asia, and Africa and in certain sections of the United States. 

Owing to the rigid quarantine regulations enforced against dogs 
imported into Australia, that country remains absolutely free from the 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 395 

disease. Following the caniue race, cattle seem to be the most fre- 
quently affected, probably because rabid dogs, next to their morbid 
desire to attack other members of their owti race, have a better oppor- 
tunity to bite grazing cattle than anj' other species of animal. The 
relative frequency of rabies in these two species of animals is indi- 
cated by the carefully compiled statistics of the German Empire, which 
show that 904 dogs and 223 (;ows died of rabies in 1808, while in 1899 
there were 911 cases in dogs and 171 in cattle. The latter receive 
bites most frequently on the hind legs and in the hips and about the 
lower jaw. These places are most accessible to dogs, owing to tlie 
habit of cattle to drive their tormentors away by lowering their heads 
and using their horns. Every animal bitten does not necessarily 
develop the disease, but the jjercentage of fatalities has been vari- 
ously estimated and averages from 25 to 30 per cent of the bitten cat- 
tle. This, however, depends on the location and size of the wound, as 
well as the amount of hemorrhage produced, and various other condi- 
tions. In general, the nearer the bite is located to the central nervous 
system and the deeper the wound inflicted, the greater the danger of 
a fatal result. In cases where the hemorrhage resulting from the 
bite is profuse, there is a possibility that the virus will be washed out 
of the wound and thus obviate the danger of subsequent appearance 
of the disease. 

The virus after being deposited in the w^ound remains latent for an 
extremely variable period of time, which also depends on the size and 
depth of the wound as well as its location and the amount of the 
virulent saliva introduced. Experiments have proved that the virus 
follows the course of the nerves to the spinal cord and along the lat- 
ter to the brain before the symptoms appear. Gerlach having col- 
lected the statistics from 133 cases has found this time, known as the 
period of incubation, to vary from fourteen to two hundred and eighty- 
five- days. The great majority of cases, however, contract the dis- 
ease in one to three months after the bite has been inflicted. 

Symptoms. — As in dogs, both furious and dumb rabies are met 
with, the former being more common in cattle. However, a sharp 
line of distinction can not be drawn between these two forms of the 
disease, as the furious form usually merges into the dumb, due to the 
paralysis which alwa3^s appears i)rior to death. The tj-pical cases of 
dumb rabies are those where the paralysis appears at the beginning of 
the attack and remains until the death of the animal. The disease 
first manifests itself by a loss of appetite and rumination and stop- 
ping of the secretion of milk, great restlessness, anxiety, manifesta- 
tion of fear, and change in the disposition of the animal. This 
preliminary stage is followed in a day or two by the stage of excita- 
tion, or madness, which is indicated by increasing restlessness, loud 
roaring at times with a peculiar change in the sound of the voice, 
violent butting with the horns and pawing the ground with the 



396 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

feet, with an insane tendency to attack other animals, although the 
desire to bite is not so marked in cattle as in the canine race A con- 
stant symi)tom is the increased secretion of saliva with a consequent 
frothing at the mouth, or the secretion may hang from the lips in long 
strings. Constipation is marked, and there is manifested a continual, 
although unsuccessful, desire to defecate. Spasms of the muscles in 
different parts of the body are also seen at intervals. About the 
fourth day the animal usually becomes quieter and the walk is stiff, 
unsteady, and swaying, showing that the final i)aralysis is coming 
on. This is called the paralytic stage. The loss of flesh is extremely 
rapid, and even during the short course of the disease the animal 
becomes exceedingly emaciated. The temperature is never elevated, 
it usually remaining about normal or even subnormal. Finally, there 
is complete paralysis of the hind quarters, the animal being unable 
to rise, and but for irregular convulsive movements lies in a comatose 
condition, and dies usually from the fourth to the sixth day after the 
appearance of the first symptom. 

Anatomy. — If animals which have succumbed to rabies be exam- 
ined postmortem, very slight evidence of disease will be found in any 
of the organs, and, indeed, the absence of any specific lesions may be 
considered as characteristic. The blood is dark and imperfectly 
coagulated. The throat is frequently reddened, and there may be 
small spots of extra vasated blood in the intestines. The stomachs 
are usually empty. In the spleen there may be hemorrhagic enlarge- 
ments (infarcts). The cadavers rapidly undergo decomposition. 

Differential diagnosis.— It is not an easy matter to decide definitely 
that a given animal has rabies, since the symptoms given above belong 
in part to a variety of other diseases, among which may be mentioned 
the excitement seen in young animals following close confinement, 
certain vegetable and mineral poisons, acute enteritis, and alterations 
of the c'^'utral nervous system in cattle, the most common of which is 
tuberculosis of the brain and its covering membranes. However, the 
postmortem lesions should assist in making a correct diagnosis. 
Tetanus maj' readily be differentiated from rabies bj^ the persistence 
of muscular cramps, especially of the face and abdomen, which cause 
these muscles to become set and as hard as wood. In tetanus there 
is also an absence of a depraved ajipetite or of a wilful propensity to 
hurt other animals or to damage the surroundings. The cow remains 
quiet and the general muscular contraction gives the animal a rigid 
appearance. There is an absence of paralysis which marks the 
advanced stage of rabies. The dumb form of rabies in dogs is char- 
acterized by the paralj'sis and pendency of the lower jaw, while in 
tetanus the jaws are locked. This locking of the jaws in cattle ren- 
ders the animal incapable of bellowing as in rabies. Finally, tetanus 
may be distinguished from rabies by the fact that the central nervous 
system does not contain the infectious principle, while in rabies the 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 397 

inoculation of test rabbits with the brain or cord of a rabid animal 
will produce the disease with characteristic symptoms after an inter- 
val of fifteen to twenty days. This period of incubation is much longer 
than in tetanus, since the inoculation of rabbits with tetanus cultures 
invariably results in death after a short period and usually within 
three days. The positive evidence that a rabid dog has been near 
cattle would greatly assist in making a decision in doubtful cases. 
The disease in dogs is pretty well recognized by most people, but in 
case a suspected dog is killed it is desirable to open the animal and 
examine the contents of the stomach. While food is absent, a variety 
of odd things may be present which the abnormally changed appetite 
of the rabid dog has induced it to swallow. Among such things may 
be straws, sticks, glass, rags, earth, pieces of leather, and whatever 
the animal may have encountered small enough to be swallowed. 
This miscellaneous collection in the stomach of dogs, together with 
absence of food, is regarded by authorities as a very valuable sign, 
and may be made use of by laymen in case of doubt. In important 
cases, howevei', the head of the dog, cow, or other suspected animal 
should be removed and sent to the nearest biological laboratory, where 
a positive diagnosis can be made within thirty-six hours by the histo- 
logical examination of the plexiform nerve ganglia, and within two 
or three weeks by the intracerebral inoculation of rabbits with an 
emulsion of the brain of the suspected animal. 

Treatment. — This is iiseless after the first appearance of symptoms. 
When, however, a wound inflicted by a rabid animal can be discov- 
ered, it should be immediately cauterized or even completelj^ extir- 
pated, care being taken to cut entirely around the wound in the 
healthy tissues. For cauterizing the wound, fuming nitric acid, the 
hot iron, and 10 per cent solution of zinc chloride are the most effica- 
cious. To afford an absolute protection, this should be done within a 
feAV moments after the bite has been inflicted, although even as late 
as a few hours it has been known to thw^art the development of the 
disease. 

Past(!ur has originated and perfected a system of preventive inocu- 
lation against this disease which has greatly reduced the mortality in 
human subjects. Its application to animals, however, is more diffi- 
cult, requiring considerable time and expense, and is therefore only 
economically applicable in cases where very valuable animals are bit- 
ten by dogs known to be mad. Sanitary regulations which seek to 
control effectively the disease by exterminating it among dogs are most 
likely to prove successful. The measures which are adopted to this 
end can not be discussed in this place, but it is a striking fact that 
where the muzzling of all dogs has been rigidly enforced, as in Eng- 
land and in certain German districts, the disease has been practically 
stamped out. 



398 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

TUBERCULOSIS. 
(Plates XXIX, fig. 6; XXXIV to XL, inclusive.) 

Tuberculosis is an infectious and communicable disease charac- 
terized by the formation in various organs of the body of minute 
nodules, or tubercles, which contain the Bacillus tuberculosis, the 
cause of the disease. 

The disease, in its various manifestations, has been known for many 
centuries, and legislative enactments having reference to the destruc- 
tion of affected animals and forbidding the use of the tlesh date far back 
into the middle ages. The opinions entertained regarding the nature 
and the cause of the malady varied much in different periods, and very 
markedly influenced the laws and regulations in vogue. Thus, in the 
sixteenth century, the disease was considered identical with syphilis in 
man. In consequence of this belief very stringent laws were enacted, 
which made the destruction of tuberculous cattle compulsory. In the 
eighteenth century this erroneous conception of the nature of the dis- 
ease was abandoned and all restrictions against the use of meat were 
removed. Since that time, however, the communicable nature of this 
disease has been established by many investigators, and the tide of 
opinion has again turned in favor of repressing the disease and pro- 
hibiting the sale of contaminated products. 

Occurrence. — The statistics concerning tuberculosis show that it is a 
disease prevalent in all civilized countries. In some countries, such 
as the northern part of Norway and Sweden, on the steppes of eastern 
Europe and Russia, in Sicily and Iceland, and in Algiers, it is said to 
be quite rare. 

The returns from testing British cattle with tuberculin, supplied by 
the Royal Veterinary College, as stated in March, 1900, showed that 
among 15,392 animals tested 4,105, or 2G per cent, reacted. 

During the slaughter of cattle for pleuro-pneumonia careful exami- 
nations of the carcasses were made for tuberculosis. Of 300 head 
killed near Edinburgh 120, or 40 per cent, were tuberculous. Of 
4,160 killed in England 20 per cent" were tuberculous. Of one of 
these lots of cattle (451 animals), the president of the Lancashire 
Farmers' Association testified that they were fairly representative 
cattle — cows, heifers, and growing stock — a thoroughly mixed lot; 
20 per cent of these animals had tuberculosis. 

Of 398 bovine animals taken haphazard in the city of Manchester, 
120, or 30 per cent, were tuberculous. Among these animals were 168 
cows, 69, or 41 per cent, being tuberculous, and 2 having diseased 
udders. 

The result of testing the Queen's herd at Windsor was that 36 out 
40, or 90 per cent, were found tuberculous. 

Tlie investigations made by the British Dairy Farmers' Association 
deserve particular attention, coming as they do directly from a cattle 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 399 

owners' organization. The council of this association "resolved to 
submit the general consideration of the question to a committee, with a 
view to some more definite understanding as to the i:)0ssible extent 
to which tuberculosis exists in dairy cattle." The secretar}' was 
instructed to write to a number of dairy farmers, being members of 
the association, asking their cooperation and the use of their herds 
for the application of the tests. Of the herds offered, 9 were selected, 
containing 461 cows and 12 bulls, and 188 .of these animals reacted, 
being 40.8 per cent. There were among these cattle 335 Shorthorns, 
of which 119, or 35 per cent, reacted; 67 crossbreds, of which 28, or 

42 per cent, reacted; 47 Ayrshires, of which 37, or 80 per cent, reacted. 
Another experiment of much interest is that of the Cheshire 

County council. The technical instruction committee set aside £250 
to be used by a joint committee from the agricultural and horticultural 
schools and "VVorleson Dairj^ Institute for applying the tuberculin test 
to their herds. The tests were made February 15, 1899. The results 
were: Worleson herd of 54 animals, 16 diseased, or 29.6 per cent; 
agricultural school herd of 17 animals, 4 diseased, or 23.5 per cent. 
The Worleson herd consisted of Shorthorn cows. In each herd the 
purebred Shorthorn bull was tuberculous. The results of the tuber- 
culin test were confirmed by the slaughter of the animals and exami- 
nation of the carcasses. 

Sir T. D. G. Carmichael, member of Parliament for Midlothian, gave 
evidence before the royal commission that his Polled Angus herd was 
tested in the spring of 1895. "The results of the test were fearfully 
unexpected and alarming." Of 30 tested 13 showed decided reaction — 

43 per cent. Again, he speaks of having 41 animals tested the same 
spring and 16 reacted — 39.5 i)er cent. 

Of 80 Shorthorn cattle, intended for export, which were tested, 34 
reacted, or 42 per cent. 

Of a herd of 25 British Shorthorns recently tested in quarantine, 40 
per cent were found tuberculous. 

The addition of these animals above referred to gives 20,930 head 
examined and 5,441, or 26 per cent, pronounced tuberculous. And 
these herds were not selected because they were supposed to be tuber- 
culous, but represent the general cattle stock of the country. These 
animals included at least 470 head of Shorthorns, of which 170, or 34 
per cent, were tuberculous. 

To these facts may be added the evidence of Professor Bang that 
tuberculosis was brought to Denmark in the first half of the nineteenth 
centur.y by cattle from Switzerland, Schleswig, and England, and that 
the same thing is now going on in Sweden and Norway, particularly 
through English cattle. Also the evidence of M. Sivoi-i, chief of sec- 
tion at the ministry of agriculture; Argentina, who has investigated 
tuberculosis in that country, and who says that "thirty or forty years 
ago tuberculosis was unknown in Argentine cattle, and it is still 



400 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

unknown among the native (criollo) cattle. Its appearance dates from 
the introduction of pure breeding animals. Statistics prove that 
tuberculosis is observed among the grades — above all among those of 
the Durham and less among the Hereford." 

Moreover, tlie reports of the royal commission of Victoria, Australia, 
and of the New Zealand department of agriculture, show a large pro- 
portion of tuberculous cattle in those colonies, where the disease was 
almost certainl}^ carried by British cattle. 

In the same manner that tuberculosis has been carried from Great 
Britain to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, and Australia, it 
has also been taken to Canada. In one herd of imported cattle 
slaughtered in the Canadian quarantine station, 13 of the 14 animals 
were found tuberculous. One of the largest Shorthorn herds in 
Canada was some time ago tested because an animal from it was 
condemned when offered for shipment to the United States. This 
herd was found to be very badl}^ affected, and an effort is being made 
to eradicate the disease by the Bang method. A Canadian official 
publication says of another Shorthorn herd, which at one time had a 
veiy high reputation, that when an investigation in regard to tuber- 
culosis was recently made the disease was found among ordinary cattle 
wherever animals from this herd had been introduced, and that this 
herd, which had been looked upon as one of the greatest benefits to 
the farming communitj^, was really a danger, because it disseminated 
tuberculosis among the farmers' herds. Still another well-known 
herd recently attracted attention because four animals from it offered 
for export to the United States were all tuberculous. 

From December 23, 1900, to February 19, 1901, the period that the 
Department inspector tested all Canadian cattle intended for shipment 
to the United States, 140 purebred Shorthorns and 3 Shorthorn grades 
were tested, and of the total number of 26, or 18 per cent, reacted. 
During the first month that this inspection was enforced, and when it 
maj^ be assumed that the condition of the cattle most nearly repre- 
sented what it had previously been, 74 cattle were offered for importa- 
tion, and 18, or 24.3 per cent, were found tuberculous. 

In justice to Shorthorn cattle it should be said in this connection 
that they are probably no more susceptible to tuberculosis than are 
other breeds, but the disease has been allowed to spread in certain 
herds and families to such an extent as to give a wrong impression 
concerning the breed as a whole. 

The slaughterhouse statistics of Prussia show 14.6 per cent of the 
cattle and 2.14 per cent of the hogs to be tuberculous. In Saxony 
the percentage is 29.13 with cattle and 3.10 with hogs. In the city 
of Leipzig the figures are 36.4 for cattle and 2.17 for hogs. (Siedam- 
grotzky.) Of 20,850 animals in Belgium tested with tuberculin in 
1896, 48.88 per cent reacted. (Stubbe. ) Of 25,439 tested in Denmark 
from 1893 to 1895, 49.3 per cent reacted; and of 67,263 tested from 
1896 to 1898, 32.8 per cent reacted. (Bang.) 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



401 



Fii?iires available in the United States do not cover a sufficient area 
of our territory to allow us to make a reliable estiinat<' of the extent 
of tuberculosis with milcli cows. There is little doubt, however, but 
that the disease has been increasing both with dairy caltle and hogs. 
From a recent review by Russell and Hastings, of the Wisconsin Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, of tests of cattle for tuberculosis which 
have been made in the United States, the following summary is pre- 
sented : 

Statistics of tests for tuberculosis in the United States. 



State. 



Vermont 

Massachusetts 

Massachusetts, entire herds 

Connecticut 

New York, 1894 

New York,189r-98 

Pennsylvania 

New Jersey. 

Illinois, 1897-98 

Illinois,1899 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Iowa _ 



Wisconsin: 

Experiment Station tests — 

Suspected herds 

Nonsuspected herds -- 

State veterinarian's tests- 
Suspected herds 

Tests of local veterinarians under State veterinarian, cat- 
tle intended for shipment to States requiring tuberculin 
certificate 



Number 
tested. 



60,000 
24,685 

4,093 

6,»K) 
947 

1,2(K) 
34,000 

2,500 
9SK) 

3,655 



3,430 

873 



323 
935 



3,421 



Number 
tubercu- 
lar. 



2,390 

12,443 

1,080 



163 
4,800 



500 



122 



115 
84 



191 



76 



Per cent 
tubercu- 
lar. 



3.9 

50.0 
26.4 
14.2 
6.9 
18.4 
14.1 
21.4 
12.0 
15.32 
13.0 
11.1 
13.8 



35.6 
9.0 



32.5 



2.2 



The State veterinarian of Pennsjdvania, Doctor Pearson, thinks that 
not over 2 per cent of the cattle of that State are tuberculous, and 
probably if a general test of all the cattle of the other States men- 
tioned wei*e made we sliould find a very much smaller proportion 
tuberculous than is indicated by this tabular statement. 

The beef cattle of the United States, as they come to the large 
packing houses, are yet comparatively free from tuberculosis. Of 
4,841,10(3 cattle slaughtered in the year 1000 under Federal inspection, 
but 5,279, or 0.11 per cent, were sufficiently affected to cause the con- 
demnation of any part of the carcass. Of 23,330,884 hogs similarly 
inspected, 5,440 were sufficiently affected to cause condemnation of 
some part of the carcass. This is equal to 0.023 per cent, or slightly 
more than one-fifth the proportion found in beef cattle. 

In 1003 the number of cattle inspected reached 6,134,410, of which 
8,848 carcasses or parts were condemned for tuberculosis, being 0.14 
per cent. The number of inspected hogs was 21,703,738, and of these 
8267—04 26 



402 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

72,305 carcasses or parts were condemned for this cause, or 0.33 per 
cent. The increase in percentage of condemnations from 1000 to 1903 
was at least partlj^^ due to more stringent inspection. 

It has been observed that tuberculosis increases in frequency with 
the age of the animals. If we take the number of cases of animals 
of a year and under affected with tuberculosis as the unit of com- 
parison, animals from 1 to 3 years old furnish 10 times, those 3 to 6 
years old 30 times, and those over 6 years 40 times the number of 
cases. 

From tlie statistics above referred to and other data, it appears 
that in the more densely jjopulated areas of Europe and America 
from 5 to 50 per cent of the dairy cattle are more or less affected with 
tuberculosis, Avhile the proportion of beef cattle affected is distinctly 
less, ranging from 0.14 to 30 x)er cent. This difference is due to a 
number of causes. Beef cattle average younger when slaughtered. 
They are not so frequentlj^ stabled, and are for that reason less liable 
to infection, and, as the males constitute a large proportion of this 
class of animals, the effect of milk secretion in lowering the vital 
forces is not so apparent. 

Cause and nature of the disease. — The cause of tuberculosis is the 
tubercle bacillus, which gains entrance to the body, lodges somewhere 
in the tissues, and begins to grow and multiply at that jjoint. As this 
bacillus vegetates and increases in numbers it excretes substances 
which act as irritants and poisons and which lead to the formation of 
a small nodule, called a tubercle, at the point of irritation. As the 
bacilli are disseminated through the animal body they affect many 
points and cause the formation of au enormous number of tubercles. 
By the union of such tubercles masses of tubercular material are 
formed, which in some cases are of great size. The disease is called 
tuberculosis because it is characterized by the formation of these 
peculiar nodules, and the bacillus whicli causes the disease is for the 
same reason known technically as the Bacillus tuberculosis. 

There are undoubtedly predisposing conditions which contribute 
toward the development of the disease; some of these are found in 
the animal body and others in the environment. An enfeebled 
condition due to insufficient food, exposure to great extremes of 
atmospheric temperature and insanitary surroundings, or the drain 
occasioned by heavy production of milk apj)eai"S to aid the develop- 
ment of the bacillus, and there is also a special individual suscepti- 
bility in some cases which may be otherwise described as au inability 
of the animal tissues to resist and destroy the bacilli when they have 
penetrated to the inner recesses of the body. 

Among the conditions of environment which aid the development 
of tuberculosis may be mentioned stabling with lack of ventilation, 
damp buildings, the keeping of many animals together, drafts of air 
whicli cause colds and catarrhs, and, in general, everything which 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 403 

prevents the animals from developing and maintaining the highest 
condition of health. None of these conditions of body or environ- 
ment are sufficient to cause the disease, however, unless the animals 
are exposed to the Bacillus tuberculosis and this bacillus penetrates 
the tissues of their bodies. 

The ways in which the tubercle bacilli find their way into the body, 
in the order of their importance, may be considered under four heads: 
(1) By inhalation into the lungs; (2) by taking into the digestive 
tract in the milk of tuberculous cows or with other contaminated 
food; (3) during coition when the sexual organs are tuberculous; 
(4) from the tuberculous mother to the fetus in the uterus. Inhala- 
tion appears to be b}^ far the most common mode of infection. The 
bacilli can only reach the lungs by inhalation when they are thor- 
oughly dried and pulverized and in a condition to be carried by cur- 
rents of air. 

It is well known that the bacilli withstand drying for months before 
they lose their power of producing disease. They leave the body of 
diseased animals in several ways. There may be a little discharge 
occasionall}^ coughed uj) from the diseased lungs, or there ma}' be 
ulcers of the intestines from which many bacilli escape and are car- 
ried off with the excrement, or milk may be spilt, or there may be a 
discharge from the vagina when the genital organs are tuberculous. 
The bacilli from these sources may become dried and pulverized and 
carried in the air of the stable and into the lungs of still healthy cattle, 
where the disease then develops. 

The disease of the stomach, intestines, and mesenteric glands is very 
probably the result of food infection. Tubercle bacilli may have been 
scattered upon the feed by diseased animals. But the most common 
source of such infection is the milk of tuberculous cows. Calves may 
become infected in this waj'. The disease may remain latent until 
the animal becomes older. The not infrequent occurrence of tuber- 
culosis of the uterus and ovaries makes it probable that the disease 
may be transmitted by a diseased bull or carried by a healthy bull 
from a diseased cow to a number of healthy cows. 

The source of infection is alwaj-s some previous case of the disease, 
for the latter can never arise spontaneously. Ileuce, in those stables 
in which there is frequent change of cattle the introduction of tuber- 
culosis by cattle coming from other infected stables is the most fre- 
quent source of infection. Since the bacilli when dried can be car- 
ried by the air, it is not necessary that healthy animals should come 
in direct contact with cases of disease to become infected. In general 
the greatest number of cases occurs in the immediate environment of 
cities, where there are not only abundant opportunities for infection, 
owing to the frequent introduction of new animals into herds, but 
where the sanitary conditions may be regarded as the poorest. 

The bacillus of tuberculosis was discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. 



404 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

It (see PI. XXIX, fig. <J) is a slender, rod-like bod}^ from one-third to 
two-thirds the diameter of a red-blood corpuscle in length. As already 
explained, Avhen the bacillus has become lodged in any organ or tis- 
sue it begins to multiply-, and thereby causes an irritation in the tissue 
around it which leads to the formation of the so-called tubercle. The 
tubercle, when it has reached its full growth, is a little nodule about 
the size of a millet seed. It is composed of several kinds of tissue 
cells. Soon a change takes place within the tubercle. Disintegration 
begins, and a soft, cheesy substance is formed in the center which 
may contain particles of lime salts. When these tubercles continue 
to form in large numbers they run together, forming masses of vari- 
ous sizes. The disintegration which attacks them leads to the forma- 
tion of hirge cheesy masses of a yellowish color, containing more or 
less of lime salts in the form of gritty particles. These large, tuber- 
culous masses are surrounded by or embedded in layers of fibrous 
tissue, which in some cases becomes very dense and thick. 

The disease is thus a development of these tubercles in one or more 
organs of the body. The distribution and number of the tubercles 
determine the course of the disease. 

In a large number of cases the changes are limited to the lungs and 
the serous membranes'^ of the thorax and abdomen. Pathologists 
have been in the habit of calling the lung disease tuberculosis and 
the disease of the serous membranes " pearly disease." Statistics have 
shown that in about one-half of the cases both lungs and serous mem- 
branes are diseased, in one-third onlj^the lungs, and in one-fifth only 
the serous membranes. At the same time the lymphatic glands near 
the diseased organs are usually involved. Other organs, such as the 
liver, not infrequently contain tubercles. Though the disease may 
remain i-estricted to a single organ, it now and then is found general- 
ized, affecting all organs of the body. 

In tlie lungs (PI. XXXIV) the changes observed var3^ according to 
the age and intensity of the disease process. They usually begin with 
the appearance of very minute tubercles. These may appear in large 
numbers on the surface of the lungs or within the lung tissue. Later 
the contents become cheesj^ and partlj^ calcified. When these tubercles 
are sulhcicntly numerous to become confluent, large masses may be 
formed, which undergo the same letrogressive changes of caseation 
and calcification. In addition to the formation of tubercles in the 
lung tissue, certain other changes take place. There is usually pres- 
ent l)ronchitis with abundant catarrhal secretion. This plugs up the 
smaller air tubes, and the lung tissue supplied with air by these tubes 



"These membranes comprise the smooth, very delicate, glistening lining of the 
large 1 ody cavities. In the thorax the serous membrane (pleura) covers the ribs 
and diaphragm as well as the whole lung surface. In the abdomen a similar 
membrane (peritoneum) lines the interior of the cavity and covers the bowels, 
li\ er. spleen, etc. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 405 

collapses. Subsequently it becomes filled with yellowisli, cheesy mat- 
ter, which greatly distends the small air tubes and air vesicles (bron- 
cho-pneumonia). The connective tissue between the lung lobules, 
around the tubercles, and around the air tubes becomes thickened and 
indurated. In the larynx and the bronchi tubercles maj'- vegetate 
upon the mucous membrane, and ulcers ma}^ result from their break- 
ing doAvn. The inflamnuxtory irritation which the growth of the 
tubercles on the surface of the lungs arouses gives rise to adhesion of 
the kings to the ribs and diaphragm. This adhesioii is soinetimes so 
firm and extensive that the lungs api^ear grown to the chest wall. 

When, therefore, the lungs in advanced stages of the disease are 
cut open we observe large, yellowish masses, from one-quarter to three- 
quarters of an inch in diameter, of a cheesy texture, in which calcified, 
gritty particles are embedded and which are surrounded by very firm 
connective tissue. The neighboring lung tissue, when collapsed and 
involved in broncho-i^neumonia, has the color and consistency of pale- 
red flesh. The air tubes, large and small, stand out prominently on 
the cut surface. They are distended with a pasty, yellowish, cheesy 
mass, surrounded and enveloped in tliick mucus, and their walls 
greatly thickened. The larger bronchi may be sacculated, owing to 
the distention produced by the cheesy contents. 

The disease usually attacks the bronchial glands, which are situated 
on the trachea and bronchial tubes at the bifurcation. The changes 
in the glands are the same as those going on in the lung tissue, and 
they frequently reach an enormous size. 

The tubercle formation on the serous membranes covering the lungs 
and chest wall (PI. XXXIX, fig. 2), which may go on at the same time 
with the lung disease or independent of it, has been called "pearly 
disease," on account of the peculiar appearance of the tubercles. 
These begin as very minute, grayish nodules, which give the originally 
smooth, lustrous membrane a roughened appearance. These minute 
tubercles enlarge, become confluent, and project above the surface of 
the membrane as wart-like nuisses, attaining the size of pease. In this 
stage their attachment to the membrane is by means of delicate fibers. 
The attachment is loose, so that the tubercle hangs by a short pedicle 
or neck and may be moved slightly to and fro. Large masses are fre- 
quently formed by a coalescence of many tubercles and the secondarj'^ 
formation of the same. These may be found on the lungs, the ribs, 
and the diaphragm. These tubercles likewise undergo degenerative 
changes. The center parti}' softens and partly calcifies into a grayish 
mortar-like mass, and are gritty. Associated with the formation of 
tubercles on the pleura, those glands situated back of the center of the 
lungs between the two main lobes (posterior mediastinal) become greatly 
enlarged and the center cheesy. (PI. XXXVI.) They may compress 
the esophagus and interfere with swallowing. The size attained by 
these tumors and new growths is well illustrated by the fact that, 



406 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

taken together, they not infrequently weigh from 60 to 80 pounds. 
The broncliial ghinds, which in the healthy state are not so large as 
horse-chestnuts, have been found to attain a weight of over 10 pounds. 

In the abdominal cavity tubercles may be found, both in the organs 
and on the serous membranes covering them. They are situated pref- 
erably on the omentum, or caul (see PI. XXXVII, PI. XXXVIII, fig. 
2), the diaphragm, and the walls of the abdomen. In the liver large 
and small tubercular masses are occasionally encountered, (See PI. 
XXXV.) The mesenteric glands (see PI. XXXVIII, fig. 1) are occa- 
sionally enlarged and tuberculous; likewise the glands near ttie liver. 
Tubercles may also develop in the spleen, the kidneys, the uterus and 
ovaries, and the testicles. 

Tubercular affection of the intestines seems to be quite rare, although 
ulcers of the large intestines have been observed. Nodules may also 
form under the serous covering of the intestines. 

The brain and spinal cord are occasionally found tuberculous. Of 
40 cases, Semmer found tuberculosis of the brain in 4. It is not 
improbable that, owing to the infrequency of exposing the brain and 
spinal coid, tuberculosis may have escaped the attention of patholo- 
gists, and it may be that it is not so uncommon as is generally sup- 
posed. The tubercles occur on the membranes of the brain as well as 
in the substance of the brain itself. They project into the ventricles 
as masses, varying in size from a j)in's head to a hen's egg. They 
finally lead to various inflammatory changes. Johne has observed 
numerous small tubercles on the membranes of the spinal cord. 

Very rarely tuberculous lesions have been observed in the bones 
and muscles of the body. Not so rare, however, is the affection of the 
lymphatic glands embedded in the muscular tissue and those which 
can be felt beneath the skin. These are situated at the joints, under 
the jaw, and along the neck. 

Tubercular disease of the udder in cows (PL XL) has received con- 
siderable attention of late from sanitarians, owing- lo the infection of 
the milk with the virus of tuberculosis. According to those who have 
given this subject special attention, the udder becomes swollen uni- 
formly and quite firm. This swelling, which is painless, frequently 
attacks but one quarter, more rarely two, these being usually the hind 
quarters. The larger milk duets contain yellowish, cheesy particles, 
in which are many tubercle bacilli. Later on, larger nodules can be 
felt within the udder, which undergo the various changes to which 
tubercles ai'e subject. The udder may grow very hard to the touch 
and become very large, weighing in some cases up to 40 pounds. The 
milk, at first normal, becomes thin and watery after a month or so, 
and is mixed Avith flakes and tubercle bacilli. 

As regards the f requeue}^ of the tubercular processes in the different 
organs, the following carefully compiled statistics of the disease in 
Bavaria and Baden may serve as a guide: 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 407 

Bavaria: Per cent. 

Tuberculosis of hmgs and serous membranes 41 

Tiiberculosis of lungs alone . . 33 

Tuberculosis of serous membranes alone (pearly disease) - 17 

Tuberculosis of other organs 8 

Baden: 

Tuberculosis of lungs alone 21 

Tuberculosis of serous membranes alone 28 

Both combined 39 

G-eneralizf d tiiberculosis ^ 9 

Tu.berculosis of the sexual organs alone 3 

Synq^toins. — -The beginning of the disease usually passes unnoticed, 
inasmuch as it is very slow and insidious and rarely accompanied by 
fever. When the lungs are involved a dull, short cough is noticed, 
which may later on become prolonged, convulsive, and very trouble- 
some to the animal. The cough is more frequent in tlie morning after 
movement and drinking. The breathing varies. Only when much of 
the lung tissue is diseased, it is labored and accompanied by active 
movements of the chest and nostrils. Discharge from the nose is rare 
or absent. At times, however, when the tubercles have broken down 
and cavities containing cheesy masses have formed in the lung tissue, 
or when the air tubes have become filled with cheesy and mucous 
masses, coughing will dislodge these and cause their -discharge. In 
advanced stages the breath may have a disagreeable odor. Pressure 
on the chest wall may give rise to pain. 

The general effect on the body is at first slight. In fact, animals 
may remain in good flesh for a considerable time. Invariably, as the 
disease progresses, loss of flesh and appetite and paleness of the 
mucous membranes become manifest. These are accompanied by a 
gradual diminution of the milk secretion. The debilitated condition 
of the animal is also manifested by a staring coat and a tough, dry, 
harsh skin (hidebound). Digestive disturbances are indicated by 
tympanites, or distention of the rumen by gas, colic, and diarrhea, 
alternating with constipation. The animal generally dies from exhaus- 
tion after a period of sickness which may last months and years. 

Tuberculosis in the abdominal organs is often signalized by abor- 
tion and by abnormal sexual manifestations. When the brain is 
involved the disease may cause convulsions, unconsciousness, paraly- 
sis, as well as peculiar movements in a circle, oblique position of the 
head, etc. Lydtin quotes the following description of the disease as 
taken from a Swiss sanitary order: 

A dry, short, internipted. hoarse cough, which the sick animals manifest espe- 
cially in the morning at feeding time, still more after somewhat violent exertion. 
At first these animals may be full-blooded and lay on a considerable amount of fat 
when well fed. As the disease progresses they grow thin and show more and 
more those appearances which indicate diseased nutrition, such as a staring, lus- 
terless, disheveled coat; dirty, tense skin, which appears very pale in those regions 
free from hair. The temperature of the skin is below normal. The loss of fat 



408 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

causes sinking of the eyes in their sockets. They appear swimming in water, and 
their expression is weak. The cough is more frequent, but never or very rarely 
accompanied with discharge. The body continues to emaciate even with plenty 
of food and a good appetite, so that the quantity of milk is small. At times, in 
the early stages of the disease, still mo:e in the later stages, the diseased animals 
manifest considerable tenderness when pressure is applied to the front or the sides 
of the chest, by coughing, moaning, etc. Often all symptoms are wanting in 
spite of the existence of the disease. 

Lj-dtin also quotes at length a description of the abnormal sexual 
desire occasionally observed among cows when affected with this 
disease. 

Diagnosis.- — A disease so varied in its attack upon the different 
organs of the bodj^ and in the extent of the disease process must 
necessarily lead to mistakes when diagnosis is attempted by the ordi- 
nary means of examination. It has been confounded with the later 
stages of pleuro-pneumonia, with parasitic diseases of the brain, the 
lungs, the intestines, and with actinomycosis. A careful examination 
of the lungs by auscultation and percussion enables the expert to 
locate large tubercular masses, owing to dullness, loss of respiratory 
murmur, and abnormal sounds, such as blowing, whistling, and 
creaking. However, the majority of cases of tuberculosis in cattle, 
including many in which the lungs are quite seriously involved, can 
not be detected in this manner. 

The tuberculin test, which is marvelously accurate in its indica- 
tions, has been, almost universally adopted for the detection of tuber- 
culosis. Tuberculin is a drug j)repared by sterilizing, filtering, and 
concentrating the liquids in which the tubercle bacillus has been 
allowed to vegetate. This substance discovered by Koch has the 
effect, when injected into the tissues of a tubercular animal, of caus- 
ing a decided rise of temperature, while it has no such effect upon 
animals free from the disease. The value of tuberculin for this pur- 
pose was tested during the years 1890 and 1801 hy Guttman, Roeckl 
and Scliutz, Bang and Salomonsen, Lydtin, Johne and Siedamgrotzky, 
Nocard, and many others. It was at once recognized as a most 
remarkable and accurate method of detecting tuberculosis evxn in the 
early stages and wlien tlio disease had yet made but little progress. 

The tuberctilin test came into existence through the most careful 
and thorough scientific experimentation. In practice it is applied by 
first taking the temperature of the animal to bo tested, at intervals of 
about two hours, a sufficient number of times to establish the normal 
temperature of the body under the ordinary conditions of life. The 
proper dose of tuberculin is then injected under the skin with a hypo- 
dermic syringe. The injection is generally made late in the evening, 
and the temperature is taken everj^ two hours the following day, begin- 
ning early in the morning and continuing until late in the evenng, if 
the fullest information is desired. From average temperatures calcu- 
lated by de Schweiuitz in 1896 of about 1,600 tests of tuberculous cows, 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 409 

it appears that in general the rise of temperature bei?ins from five and 
one-half to six hours after the tuberculin is injected, readies its great- 
est height from the sixteenth to the twentieth hours, and then graduallj^ 
declines, reaching tlie normal again by the twenty-eighth hour. 

A certain number of errors in diagnosis were, however, recorded 
in these early experiments which raised some question as to whether 
tuberculin was sufficiently accurate for universal adoption in tlie 
examination of cattle for this disease. The failures were of two kinds. 
A small percentage of the animals which showed an elevation of tem- 
perature were apparently- free from signs of tuberculosis when exam- 
ined after slaughter, and about an equal proportion failed to react, 
which upon slaughter proved to be diseased. Subsequent investiga- 
tion showed, however, that the supposed errors might be largely 
reduced, first, by not recognizing any elevation of temperature less 
than 2° F. as a reaction; second, by requiring that the temperature 
should go to about 104° F. ; third, by taking into account the tuber- 
culin curve of the chart; fourth, by giving a sufficient dose of tuber- 
culin; and, fifth, by making a more careful search through the carcass 
after slaughter for signs of the disease. The diseased animals which 
failed to react were found to be either in an advanced stage of the 
disease (and this was easily recognizable by other means), or the dis- 
ease had become arrested, and for the time being did not affect the 
sj'stem of the animal. 

In 1898, Bang, of Copenhagen, one of the highest European author- 
ities, in his i)aper presented to the Congress for the Study of Human 
and Animal Tuberculosis, at Paris, said: 

Numerous tests made in almost every civilized country have demonstrated that 
in the majority of cases tuberculin is an excellent means for diagnosing the exist- 
ence or the nonexistence of the disease, but giving us no positive information as 
to the extent to which the disease has progressed. When tuberculin produces a 
typical reaction we may be almost sure that there exists in the body of the animal 
a tubercular process. The cases in which a careful examiner has not succeeded in 
finding it are very rare; and I am led to believe that when, notwithstanding all 
the pains taken, it has escaped discovery, the reason is that it is located in a por- 
tion of the body that is particularly inaccessible. Nevertheless, it is not to be 
denied that a fever, entirely accidental and of short duration, may in some rare 
cases have simulated a reaction. However this may be, the error committed in 
wrongly condemning an occasional animal for tuberculosis is of no practical 
consequence. 

A worse asiject of the case is that there are some diseased animals in which 
tuberculin fails to discover the existence of tuberculosis. In most of these, no 
doubt, the deposits are old, insignificant, and generally calcified, or they are cases 
where the disease is arrested and perhaps in process of recovery, and which are 
possibly incapable of disseminating the contagion. But it is known that there are 
cases, not altogether rare, where tuberculin fails to cause a reaction in a highly 
tuberculous animal, and consequently one in which the disease exists in an 
extremely contagious form. For this reason a clinical examination should always 
be made of an animal which does not give a reaction, but which shows symptoms 
indicating that notwithstanding the test it may suffer from tuberculosis. 



410 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Nocard, of Paris, wrote also in 1898 as follows: 

The degree of certainty of the indications furnished may be stated in precise 
terms. The observation of a clear reaction to tuberculin is nnequivocal; the 
animal is tuberculous. The pretended errors imputed to the method are explained 
by the extreme sensitiveness of the reagent, whic h is capable of detecting the 
smallest lesion. It often requires prolonged and minute researches in the depths 
of all the tissues to discover the few miliary centers, the presence of which has 
been revealed. The reaction is absolutely spefific. In those cases where it is 
observed, with animals which show lesions of another disease (actinomyc sis, 
hydatid disease, verminous bronchitis, distomatosis , it may be affirmed that there 
exists, in addition to these conspicuous changes, a tuberculous center which alone 
has provoked the reaction. 

Tlie failure to react does not necessariltj iinply absence of tubc7xndosis. Such 
failures of tuberculin are very exceptional. They are seen most frequently with 
animals affected with tuberculosis in a very advanced stage and made evident by 
plain external signs. Sometimes, also, there are found at the postmortem exami- 
nation of animals which have not reacted small fibrous or calcified lesions in such 
a condition that one is tempted to believe them cured. Whether sterile or not, 
these lesions have no tendincy to increase a:id they are not very dangerous from 
the point of view of contagion. 

These opinions of two eminent authorities, living in different coun- 
tries, after long experience of their own and after studying the results 
of the many tests made in different parts of the world, should 
have great weight; they are essentially the same throughout. A 
similar conclusion was reached from experiments made in the 
Bureau of Animal Industry in 1893. In the extensively diseased 
herd of the Washington Soldiers' Home, GO animals were tested, all of 
which were afterwards slaughtered and carefully examined. Of the 
60 animals tested, 49 reacted and 11 failed to react. Tuberculous 
lesions were found in 48 of the animals which reacted. Five animals 
which did not react were also found to be diseased. One of these 
had a high temperature (103.6° F.) the day before the test, and this 
animal had extensive tuberculosis. The disease had been recognized 
in this animal from external ajipearance, and it had been isolated 
from the herd from fifteen to eighteen months. Three other ani- 
mals which did not react were in all probability stationary cases 
of disease; the nodules were small and largely calcareous. In the 
remaining animal which failed to react the lesions were also small 
and apparently confined to the glands. 

In 1S97 Voges compiled statistics of tuberculin tests the accuracy 
of which had been determined by postmortem examination. Of 7,327 
animals tested, it appeared that errors had been made with 204, or 
2. 78 per cent. In the work of the Pennsylvania Live Stock Sanitary 
Board, postmortem examinations were made on about 4,400 reacting 
cattle, and the disease was found in all but 8 of those which had 
given characteristic reactions. 

The results of a much larger number of tests might be compiled at 
this time, but they would not materiallj' change the average of those 
already mentioned. It is plain that tuberculin is a remarkably 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 411 

accurate test of tuberculosis; that the animals which react may be 
safelj'^ considered as tuberculous, and that when a careful clinical 
examination is practiced in addition to the test, there are few animals 
in a dangerous condition which escape detection. 

The first questions asked by those who oppose the adojition of the 
tuberculin test are. Is this test infallible? and. If it is not infallible, 
wh}^ should it be forced upon the cattle owners of the country? 

In answer to these questions it may be said that tuberculin is not 
absolntely infallible, and yet it is by far the best method of diagnos- 
ing tuberculosis that has been discovered. It is much better than anj' 
test known for pleuro-pneumonia when that disease was eradicated. 

Practically all the animals which react are affected with tuberculosis 
and should be separated from the herd, not onlj^ in the interest of the 
public, but in the interest of the owner of the herd. The best author- 
ities admit, after studying many thousands of tests, that there are few 
if any mistakes made in condemning cattle which show a typical tuber- 
culin reaction. The errors are principally in the other direction — that 
is, some tuberculous animals are not discovered by the tuberculin 
test; but as the most dangerous of these may be picked out by ordinarj^ 
clinical examination, this fault of tuberculin is not so serious as it at 
first sight appears. This being the case, it should not be necessary to 
force the tuberculin test upon cattle owners. They should be anxious 
to adopt it in their own interests and for the protection of their 
patrons. There is to-day no greater danger to the cattle and hog 
industries than that which confronts them in the form of tuberculosis, 
a disease already w^idespread and rapidly extending. Without the 
use of tuberculin it would be impossible to control this disease, and 
the farmer and stock raiser would be at its mere}'. With tuberculin 
its control is not a difficult matter, and badly affected herds may be 
converted into healthy herds in a few years, and without very serious 
loss or hardship. Tuberculin is, therefore, a great boon to the farmer — 
one of the most beneficial scientific discoveries of modern times. 

Some cattle owners have been prejudiced against the tuberculin 
test by incorrect or greatly exaggerated statements as to damage 
caused to cattle by the injection of tuberculin. Some of these state- 
ments have been based upon attacks of illness in no way connected 
with the tuberculin test. 

Many persons have in recent years studied the effects of tuberculin 
as they have been revealed by tests covering vast numbers of animals, 
and in the present uncertain condition of the public mind in this 
country on the subject the writer deems it advisable to quote the con- 
clusions of some of the best authorities. 

Nocard and Leclainche say: 

Direct experiments and observations collected by thousands show that the tviber- 
culin injections have no unfavorable effect. With healthy animals the system is 
indifferent to the Inoculation; with tuberculotis animals it causes only slight 
changes, which are not at all serious. 



412 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Hanti; lias written as follows on this <|uestion: 

"We will now consider the following question, a very important one, in the appli- 
cation of tuberculin, viz: Can the reaction produce a worse condition in tubercu- 
lous animals than before existed? Hess emphatically states that it can, and on this 
account he earnestly warns against its application. My attention has been directed 
to this question from the beginning. In my first publication on tuberculin injec- 
tion I reported two cases in which acute miliary tuberculosis was proved in two 
high-grade tuberculous cows several weeks after the tuberculin injection. I then 
st?.ted my siispicion that perhaps the tuberculin injection had some connection 
with this, just as is often supposed to be the case in human practice. With my 
present very large amount of material for observation at hand I may exi)ress the 
following opinion: Such an acute development of tuberculosis as a result of tiiber- 
culin injection is to be feared only exceptionally, and then in cases of advanced 
tuberculosis. It must not be forgotten that acute miliary tuberculosis by no means 
rarely accomjpanies an advanced tuberculosis of long standing. It is therefore 
impossible to offer strict proof of the causal connection with the injection, and only 
oft- repeated observation could make this probable. In support of my view I offer 
the following: In the course of the last three years I have made careful post- 
mortem examinations of 88 tuberculous animals, which have been removed from 
my experiment farm. Thurebylille. Among these were 18 (or. strictly speaking, 23) 
high-grade tuberculous animals. I have been able to prove miliary tuberculosis 
in only 4 of these. Among the others, which showed less developed tuberculosis, 
I have never found miliary tuberculosis, and with very many I have never found 
any sign of a more rapid development of the process. On the contrary, it has 
been proved that the diseas? was restricted locally, often for years, in spite of 
yearly repeated injections. Dissections were made at very different x^eriods after 
the injections — in 17 cases from four to twelve days after the last test. In all of 
these cases earlier tests had been made months or years before. In 28 cases the 
injection took place from nineteen days to two months before the butchering: 
in 3 of these cases earlier injections had been made. In 38 cases from two and 
one- half months to one year intervened between the last injection and the dissec- 
tion. Dissection gives the best explanation of this question, but a clinical obser- 
vation, continued for years, of a herd tested with tuberculin can render very 
essential aid. If Hess's opinion is correct, it is to be assumed that tuberculosis 
must take an unusually vicious course in such herds, but this I have been unable 
to prove. At Thurebylille there has existed for three years a reacting division, 
consisting originally of 131 head and now of 69. Although these animals are 
yearly tested, and although most of them react every year, the division certainly 
appears to be made up of healthy animals, and the farm inspector has expressed 
the decided opinion that the tuberculosis in this division is no more developed 
than at the beginning of the experiment. The testimony of many owners of large 
herds of cattle which have long ago been injected is to the same effect. I will 
adduce statements from several. A farm tenant whose cattle were injected twenty 
months previously, when 82 per cent of the grown animals reacted, wrote me 
recently as follows: " Only 2 cows from the division of 100 head had been sold as 
decidedly tuberculous. The majority appeared afterwards, just as before, entirely 
healthy. The fat animals which had been slaughtered had been pronounced 
healthy by the butchers."' Another farm tenant with a herd injected in 1894 had 
not been obliged to remove a single animal from the tuberculous division, num- 
bering 70 head. A large farm owner in Jutland stated in September that he had 
traced no undesirable result from the injection His herd of 350 had been injected 
in February and aT)out 75 per cent reacted. Similar answers have been given by 
other owners and veterinarians. 

A veterinarian who had injected 600 animals, among them a herd of a large 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 413 

farm, eighteen months previously, expressed tha belief that the injection had pro- 
duced in no single case an unnsually rapid or vicious course of ttiberculosis. In 
spite of a demand made uK^nths ago, I have received thus far no report from any 
veterinarian of an undesirable result. 

On a large farm, on which before the injection tuberculosis had appeared in a 
vicious form, the owner had the impression that the severe cases had afterwards 
become more numerous. He had, however, not suffered severe losses, and eight 
months later the lapge reacting division by no means made a bad impression. 
Finally, it is to be noticed that tuberculin has been employed on a large scale in 
Denmark for years, and still the demand from farmers constantly increases. This 
could certainly not be the case if the injections were generally followed by bad 
results. 

PMige said, after the tests of the herd of the Massachusetts Ai^ricul- 
tural College, that " its use is not followed by any ill effects of a 
serious or permanent nature." 

Lamson, of the New Hampshire College Agricultural Experiment 
Station, said: "There is abundant testimony that its use is not in any 
way injurious to a healthy animal." 

Conn, who made a special study of the present attitude of European 
science toward tuberculosis in cattle, reached the following conclu- 
sions: 

It has been, from the first, thought by some that the use of tuberculin produces 
a direct injury upon the inoculated animals. This, however, is undoubtedly a 
mistake, and there is no longer any belief anywhere on the part of scientists that 
the injury thus produced is worthy of note. In the first place, the idea that it 
may produce the disease in a perfectly healthy animal by the inoculation is abso- 
lutely fallacious. The tuberculin does not contain the tubercle bacillus, and it is 
absolutely certain that it is impossible to produce a case of tuberculosis in an 
animal unless the tubercle bacilli are present. The use of tuberculin, therefore, 
certainly can never produce the disease in the inoculated animal. 

It has been more widely believed, however, that the inoculation of an animvil 
with this material has a tendency to stimulate an incipient case of tuberculosis. 
It has been thought that an animal with a very slight case of the disease may, 
after inoculation, show a very rapid extension of this disease and be speedily 
brought to a condition wh„>re it is beyond any use. The reasons given for this 
have been the apparent activity of the tuberculosis infection in animals that have 
been slaughtered shortly after inoculation. This has been claimed, not only by 
agriculturists who have not undeistood the subject well, but also by veterinarians 
and bacteriologists. But here, too, we must recognize that the claim has been 
disproved, and that there is now a practical unanimity of opinion on the part of 
all who are best calculated to judge, that such an injurious effect does not occur. 
Even those who have been most pronounced in the claim that there is injury thus 
resulting from tuberculin have, little by little, modified their claim, until at the 
present time they say eithei that the injury which they formerly claimed does 
not occur, or that the stimulus of the disease is so slight that it should be abso- 
lutely neglected, in view of . he great value which may arise from the use of tuber- 
culin. Apart from two or three who hold this very moderate opinion, all bac- 
teriologists and veterinarians unite in agreeing that there is no evidence for believ- 
ing that any injury results. In Denmark, especially, many hundreds of thousands 
of animals have been inoculated, and the veterinarians say there is absolutely no 
reason in all their experience for believing that the tuberculin inoculation is fol- 
lowed by any injurious results. 



414 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

In 1898 tuberculosis was found in the large Shorthorn herd belong- 
ing to W. C. Edwards, of Canada, wlio with commendable i)rompt- 
ness and public spirit had his animals tested, and at once proceeded 
to separate the diseased from the healthy animals. These were all 
finely bred animals, and the very class which we have been told are 
most susceptible to the injurious effects of tuberculin. After using 
this test regularly for two 3- ears, Mr. Edwards wrote as follows: 

I liave seen nothing to lead me to believe that the tuberculin test had any inju- 
rious influence on the course of the disease. It is by no means our opinion that 
the disease has been stimulated or aggravated by the application of the tuberculin 
test. All animals that we have tested two or three times continue as hale and 
hearty as they were previously, and not one animal in our herds has broken down 
or failed in any way since we began testing. 

Mr. Edwards, in December, 1901, verbally stated to the writer that 
his views as to the harmlessness of tuberculin remained unchanged, 
and that he had not seen the least ill effect with any of his cattle from 
its use. 

Those who have had most experience with tuberculin have failed to 
observe au}'^ injurious effects following its use upon health}- cattle. 
With tuberculous cattle it produ^ces a fever of short duration, and in 
the great majority of cases all derangement of the system which it 
causes disappears within forty-eight hours after the tuberculin is 
administered. There appear to have been a very few cases in which 
the disease was aggravated, and a greater number in which it was 
benefited by the injection of tuberculin. The cases of abortion fol- 
lowing the tuberculin test have not been numerous, even when cows 
were tested within a few weeks of the normal time of calving. The 
few cases of abortion which have occurred may be explained b}^ the 
fact that abortion in cattle is a very common occurrence, and that it 
would inevitably happen sometimes after the tuberculin test as a 
mere coincidence, and without any relation between the test and the 
loss of the calf. The cases of abortion which have been cited appear 
to be no more numerous than might be expected to have occurred 
among the same number of cattle within the same period if the test 
had not been ai^plied. 

From the investigations and observations that have been mentioned, 
it may be safely concluded — 

(1) That the tuberculin test is a wonderfully accurate method of 
determining whether an animal is affected with tuberculosis. 

(2) That by the use of tuberculin the animals diseased with tuber- 
culosis may be detected and removed from the herd, thereby eradica- 
ting the disease. 

(3) That tul)erculin has no injurious effect upon health)^ cattle. 

(4) That the comparatively small number of cattle which have 
aborted, suffered in health, or fallen off in condition after the tuber- 
culin test were either diseased before the test was made or were 
affected by some cause other than the tuberculin. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 415 

Tuberculin is not nlways concentrated to the same degree, and 
therefore the dose varies. The dose of the imported tuberculin is 
0.25 c. c. for an adult cow, and, before injection, is diluted with ster- 
ile water to 2 c. c. The tuberculin made by the Bureau of Animal 
Industry is prepared so that it will not be necessary to dilute it, and 
the dose is 2 c. c. 

Treatment of the disease is not seriously considered by Siuy authori- 
ties at the present time. 

The measures to be adopted to prevent the spreading of the disease 
mu.«t take into consideration not only the tubercle bacillus, but like- 
wise all those circumstances which make cattle more susceptible to the 
disease whi(;h have already been dwelt upon. It would be useless to 
repeat here all that has been said above on the transmission of tuber- 
cle bacilli from one animal to another, and on the dangers of certain 
debilitating influences. A careful studj^ of these will show how tuber- 
culosis may, at least in some cases, be prevented. Great care should be 
bestowed upon the breeding, the surroundings, and the food of the 
animal, so that the latter may be put into a condition to resist infec- 
tion even when exposed to it. A tuberculin test should be applied to all 
strange cattle before they are introduced into tlie herd, and those 
which show a reaction should be refused. 

A rigid exclusion of tuberculous animals is all that is necessary to pre- 
vent the appearance of the disease, provided cattle are not infected by 
consumptive jjersons and animals, which we can not consider as impossi- 
ble at the present time, though it is probably unusual, because the 
bacilli from man are in the majority of cases attenuated and harmless 
for cattle. 

Tuberculosis in cattle must also be considered as bearing upon 
tuberculosis of other domesticated animals, particularly hogs. In 
Europe and the United States this disease is not so uncommon among 
hogs and appears to be on the increase. The reason for its existence 
may be looked for in the feeding of pigs with skim milk, butter- 
milk, and whey in dairies, with the offal of the abattoirs, and the 
household refuse generally. If tuberculosis is common among cattle, 
it is likely to be transmitted to hogs kept in this way. 

The carcasses of animals which have died of tuberculosis should be 
buried deeply, so that they can not be eaten by other animals. This 
is likewise true of all organs or tissues of slaughtered animals contain- 
ing tubercles. These should never be fed to other animals, such as 
hogs, dogs, and cats, and should either be destroyed by fire or deeply 
buried. 

When any of the animals in a herd of cattle show evident symptoms 
of tuberculosis, or when they are proved to be affected with this dis- 
ease by the tuberculin test, the best method of i^rocedure in most 
cases is to have the affected animals slaughtered and the stables dis- 
infected. A large proportion of the animals which are slightly affected 



416 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

yield carcasses which are perfectly wholesome and fit for human food, 
but in all such cases there should he an inspection by an expert at the 
time of slaughter to determine which carcasses may be used and 
which should be destroyed. 

The disinfection of stables maybe accomplished by th<)r()Ui!,hl3' clean- 
ing them, scrubbing the floors with hot water, brushing down all loose 
dust from the walls, and tearing off all woodwork which is i^artly 
decaj-ed. Then the whole interior of the stable should be covered 
with a good coat of lime wash containing 1 part of foi-malin (which 
is a 40 per cent watery solution of formaldehj^de) to oO parts of the 
lime wash, or 4 ounces of formalin to each gallon of lime wash. 

If all of the animals which react are destroyed and the stables dis- 
infected in this manner, the herd should remain free from the disease 
unless other affected animals are added to it. The introduction of 
the disease in this manner maj'^ be avoided by requiring a tuberculin 
test of all new animals admitted on the premises. 

It is unfortunately a fact that animals with tuberculosis which have 
been tested several times may become so accustomed to tuberculin 
that the}^ will no longer react; consequently' it is alwaj's advisable to 
purchase cattle from some one who is known to be reliable, as other- 
wise tubercular animals may be treated with tuberculin for the pur- 
pose of hiding the disease. 

In the case of very valuable thoroughbred animals it vaay be raoi'e 
advantageous to retain the reacting animals which are in good con- 
dition, in order to breed from them, and in that manner avoid the 
excessive loss which would follow from their immediate slaughter. 
This may be done safely if proper precautions are adopted. The 
healthy animals should be separated from the diseased ones, and the 
stable in which the diseased animals have been should be frequently 
disinfected. When calves are dropped by the tubercular cows they 
should be immediatelj' removed, or at least not allowed to drink the 
mother's milk more than once or twice, and after that fed upon the 
milk of healthy cows. The milk from the animals which have reacted 
should not be used until after it has been boiled and the tubercle 
bacilli thus destroyed. The j^oung animals which are raised from 
tubercular dams should bo tested wlien the}^ are about six months 
old, and all of those which react should be immediately slaughtered. 
It lias been found that by following the plan suggested above not 
more than 1 or 2 per cent of the calves will develop tuberculosis. It 
is, of course, some trouble to' follow this method, but it enables the 
owner of a purebred herd to retain the strains of blood which he has 
been breeding, and graduall}- to eliminate the disease. At the end of 
six or eight years he should have a herd of cattle free from tubercu- 
losis and be prepared to destroy' all of those which have reacted. 

Bovine tuberculosis and the public health. — The identity between 
human and animal tuberculosis, combined Avith the extraordinary 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 417 

mortality of human beings from tiiis disease, often amounting to 10 
to 14 per cent, has raised the question in all civilized countries as 
to how far animal, and especially bovine, tuberculosis was to blame 
for this high mortality. The medical and veterinary professions have 
approached this problem with equal zeal, and much has come to light 
within recent years which enables us to come to some conclusion. If 
this disease is transmitted from animals to man, how does the trans- 
mission take place? As comparatively'^ few people come in direct 
contact with tuberculous cattle, it must be either through the meat, 
the milk, the butter, the cheese, or through all of these products that 
the virus enters the human body. The question has thus narrowed 
itself down to the food pi'oducts furnished by cattle. 

It has become a verj- urgent question, especially in the poorer coun- 
tries of Europe, whether all flesh from tuberculous animals is unfit for 
human food. It is argued there that if it can be shown that in the 
majority of cases of tuberculosis the bones and the muscular system 
are free from infection, there is no reason why the meat should not 
be put on sale under certain restrictions. The question may be 
resolved into two divisions: (1) How frequently does the disease 
invade those parts of the body wiiich are used as food? (2) When the 
disease process is manifestly restricted to the internal organs do 
tubercle bacilli circulate in the blood and lymph? and can they be 
detected in the muscular tissue? 

(1) Disease of the bones is not unknown, although very rare. 
According to Walley it appears chiefly in the spongy bones of the 
head and backbone and in the long bones of the limbs. Occasionally 
the ends of the liones, where they are covered by the synovial mem- 
brane of the joints, are dotted with tubercles. The muscular system 
itself is very rarely the seat of tubercular deposits, although the 
lymphatic glands lying near and among the muscles may be not infre- 
quently diseased. 

(2) Whether tubercle bacilli are found in muscle juice independent 
of any tubercular dej)osits is a question which must be approached 
experimenta^3^ There is on record a great variety of opinions on 
this matter, some authorities considering all flesh from tuberculous 
animals unfit for food, while others hold a contrary view. Experi- 
ments have shown that in rare cases the flesh of tuberculous cattle 
contains a small number of tubercle bacilli. In Germany the flesh of 
animals in which the disease is just beginning, or in which it is 
restricted to one or more related orgcxns, is not rejected. When, 
however, the disease has atfected the muscles, or bones, or lyinphatic 
glands situated on or between them, the flesh is condemned as unfit 
and dangerous. Animals are also rejected in which it is evident, 
from the general distribution of tubercles throughout the various 
organs, that the bacilli have been distributed b}^ the blood and may 
have been carried into the muscular sj'stem (generalized tuberculosis). 

82G7— 04 27 



418 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Concerning the infectious nature of milk secreted b}' tiTberciilons 
cows, autliorities have universally agreed that when the udder itself 
is in the slightest degree involved the milk T)Ossesses infectious 
properties, and is therefore dangerous. Tubercle bacilli have been 
found in large numbere in the milk and the udder under such cir- 
cumstances. Unlike other affections of the udder, tuberculosis of 
this organ does not at once change the appearance and the quality of 
the milk secreted. Bang states that for at least a month after the 
disease has appeared the milk is normal in appearance and may be 
consumed and sold without arousing the suspicion of the owner. 
There is, therefore, considerable danger involved in this disease, and 
the necessity for the careful inspection of dairy cows seems more 
nrgent than ever before. 

Authorities are, however, not fully agreed as to whether the milk 
from tuberculous cows in Avhich the udder is apparentlj^ not invaded 
by the disease should be considered dangerous or not. Some are 
inclined to believe that the milk secreted by healthy udders is never 
infectious, even when the lungs or other organs are affected; that, 
in other words, the tubercle bacilli are rarely, if ever, separated from 
the lesions which they produce, and that the udder itself must be 
diseased before tubercle bacilli can appear in the milk. Exj^eri- 
raents made with the milk of tuberculous cows in which there weix^ 
no indications of ndder disease do not bear out this theory, since 
tubercle bacilli have been found in the milk of such cows. Some 
authorities still believe that the udder is diseased when the milk is 
infected, but that the disease escapes observation. However this may 
be, the fact that the udder may be diseased and the disease not rec- 
ognizable, simply casts susj^icion uj)on all milk from tuberculous 
animals. We know that the milk of tuberculous cattle may or may 
not contain tubercle bacilli when the udder is apparently free from 
disease. But we have no rapid method of determining whether, in 
any given case, the milk contains tul^ercle bacilli or not. Moreover, 
the bacilli ma}' be absent at one time and present at another in milk 
from the same cow. When we consider, therefore, the extent of tuber- 
culosis and the hidden character of the disease, a certain amount of 
suspicion rests upon all milk. Fortunately^ tubercle bacilli are readily 
destroyed by the temperature of boiling water, and hence both meat 
and milk are made entirely safe, the former loy the various processes 
of cooking, the latter by boiling for a few moments. Until better 
means of diagnosis are at hand it is incumbent upon all communities 
to have dairy cows examined or inspected, at least to the extent of 
finding out whether the udder shows any signs of disease. If this is 
detected, the affected animal should be killed at once, or else all 
opportunity for the sale of such milk removed by appropriate meas- 
ures. The dangers from infected milk might by these means be very 
materiallv lessened. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 419 

Recently there has oeeii iiuich discussion of the question as to 
whether human and animal tuberculosis arc identical diseases and 
as to the possibilitj' of the tuberculosis of animals being transmitted 
to man or that of man being transmitted to animals. 

The fact tliat tubercular material from human subjects often failed 
to produce serious disease in cattle Avas obserA'ed by a number of the 
earlier investigators who experimented with such virus. It Avas the 
experiments and comparative studies of Theobald Smith, however, 
which attracted special attention to the difference in virulence shown 
by tubercle bacilli from human and bovine sources Avhen inoculated 
ujion cattle. Smith mentioned also certain morphological and cul- 
tural differences in bacilli from these two sources, and in the location 
and histology of the lesions in cattle produced by such bacilli. He did 
not conclude, however, that bovine bacilli could not produce disease 
in the human subject, but said : 

It seems to me that, accepting the clinical evidence on hand, bovine tuberculosis 
may he transmitted to children when the body is overpowered by large numbers 
of bacilli, as in udder tuberculosis, or when certain unknown favorable conditions 
exist. 

Koch, however, in his address at the British Congress on Tubercu- 
losis, went far beyond this and maintained that "human tuberculosis 
differs from bovine and can not be transmitted to cattle." As to the 
susceptibility of man to bovine tuberculosis, he said it was not yet 
absolutely decided, but one Avas "nevertheless already at liberty to 
say that, if such a suscei;)tibility really exists, the infection of human 
beings is but a A'ery rare occurrence." He emphasized this A'icAA' in 
the following language: 

I should estimate the extent of infection by the milk and flesh of tubercular 
cattle and the butter made of their milk as hardly greater than that of hereditary 
transmission, and I therefore do not deem it advisable to take any measures 
against it. 

This conclusion was so radically different from the views of most 
experimenters and so out of harmony ^yit\\ facts which had apparently 
been demonstrated b}^ others that it at once aroused oi)position in the 
congress, folloAved by the adoption of dissenting resolutions, and led 
to numerous iuA^estigations in A^arious countries. Koch's conclusions 
Avere based upon his failure to produce tuberculosis in cattle and other 
animals by inoculating them Avith tubercular material of human origin, 
and his success in causing progressiA^e and fatal tuberculosis in the 
same kinds of animals when inoculated with tubercular material of 
bovine origin. With such positiA'eness did he hold to the constant 
and specific difference between the human and bovine bacillus that he 
promulgated an experimental method of discriminating betAveen them. 
Speaking of the etiology of intestinal tuberculosis in man, he said: 

Hitherto nobody could decide with certainty in such a case whether the tuber- 
culosis of the intestine was of human or of animal origin. Now we can diagnose 



420 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tlieiu. All that is necessary is to cultivate in ptire cnltiire the tubercle bacilli 
found in the tubercular material, and to ascertain whether they belong to bovine 
tuberculosis by inoculating cattle with them. For this purx)ose I recommend 
subcutaneous injection, which yields quite siiecially characteristic and convincing 
results. 

These imi:>ortaiit and comprehensive conclusions followed from a 
comparatively few experiments upon animals, and apparently- no effort 
had been made to learn to what extent human tubercle bacilli might 
differ in their virulence for cattle or what grades of virulence there 
might be among bacilli of bovine origin. Vagedes had alreadj^ shown 
that bacilli were sometimes present in human lesions which were as 
virulent as bovine bacilli, but his work was wholly ignored by Koch. 

A .considerable number of investigators, including Cliauveaii, 
Vagedes, Ravenel, de Schweinitz, Mohler, De Jong, Delepine, Orth, 
Stenstrom, Fibigerand Jensen, Max Wolff, ]N"ocard, Arloing, Behring, 
Dean and Todd, Hamilton and Young, the German Tuberculosis 
Commission, and Theobald Smith, have found tubercle bacilli in the 
bodies of human beings that died of tuberculosis, which proved to 
have about the same virulence for cattle as had the bacilli from 
bovine animals affected by the disease. 

Kossel, in a j)reliminary report, stated that the German commission 
had tested 7 cultures of tuberculosis from cattle and hogs — 4 from 
cattle and 3 from hogs. Two of these cultures proved acutely fatal 
in cattle after eight to nine weeks; 4 of the cultures likewise pro- 
duced a generalized tuberculosis, but which certainly had a more 
chronic course, wdiile 1 of the cultures caused only an infiltration 
at the point of inoculation, with some caseous foci in the adjoining 
prescapular gland and in one of the mediastinal glands, and there 
was lacking the spreading of the tuberculosis over the entire body, 
which they were accustomed to see after the injection of cultures of 
bovine tuberculosis. "Hence," says Kossel, "among bovine tuber- 
culosis bacilli there can also occur differences with regard to the 
virulence." 

The German commission also tested 39 different freshly made cul- 
tures from tuberculous disease in man. Nineteen of these cultures 
did not produce the slightest sj^mptoms in cattle; with 9 others the 
cattle exhibited after four months very minute foci in the jjrescapu- 
lar glands, which were mostly cncapsuled and showed no inclination 
to progress; with 7 other cases there was somewhat more marked 
disease of the prescapular glands, but it did not go so far as a mate- 
rial spreading of the process to the glands next adjoining. There were 
4 cultures, however, which were more virulent and caused generalized 
tuberculosis in the cattle inoculated with them. 

It would appear, therefore, that hereafter everyone must admit that 
it is impossible always to tell the source of a culture of the tubercle 
bacillus by its effects when it is inoculated upon cattle. One of the 
bovine cultures failed to produce generalized tuberculosis in cattle, 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 421 

and some of the human cultures did produce tliis form of tlie disease 
in such animals. Moreover, while some of the human cultures caused 
no disease at all, others led to the development of minute foci in the 
preseapular inlands, and still others to somewhat more marked disease 
of these glands. There were, consequently, four degrees of virulence 
noted in these 39 cultures of bacilli from human sources and three 
degrees of virulence in the 7 cultures from animal sources. 

Now, if we accept the view^s of Koch as to the specific difference 
between human and bovine tubercle bacilli, and that the human bacilli 
produce only localized lesions in cattle, while bovine bacilli liroduce 
generalized lesions in these animals, must w^e not conclude that the 
one non virulent bovine culture was in reality of human origin, and 
that the animal from which it was obtained had been infected from 
man? This is a logical deduction, but reverses the dictum laid down 
at London that human tubei'culosis is not transmissible to cattle. 
Again, how are we to exjilain the human cultures of medium virulence? 
Are they human bacilli wdiich, for some unknown reason, are increas- 
ing in virulence and approaching the activity of the bovine bacillus? 
Or are they really bovine bacilli which have multiplied in the human 
body until their virulence has become attenuated? In whatever 
manner these questions are decided it would seem that the findings of 
the German commission, instead of supporting Koch's views that we 
can decide with certainty by the inoculation of cattle as to the source 
of anj^ given bacillus, really show that this method of diagnosis is 
extremely uncertain in the present condition of our knowledge. 

It is definitely' admitted that 4 of the human cultures caused gen- 
eralized tuberculosis in cattle ; but Kossel suggests that it might be 
possible that the bacilli in cases of human tuberculosis under certain 
circumstances could likewise attain a verj^ high ijathogenic activity 
for cattle without being for that reason bovine bacilli. Undoubtedly 
the German commission is confronting the two horns of a dilemma, 
either one of which is fatal to the views of Koch as stated with such 
positiveness at London. If we accept this suggestion thrown out by 
Kossel, we must conclude that Koch was wrong in his claim that 
human tuberculosis can not be transmitted to cattle, and thus with 
one blow we destroy the entire experimental support which he had for 
his argument before the British Congress on Tuberculosis. And if, 
on the other hand, we accept the conclusion Avhich follows from the 
principle laid down by Koch for the discrimination between human 
and bovine bacilli, and which appears to be favored by Kossel, we 
must admit that bovine tuberculosis is an extremely important factor 
in the etiology of human tuberculosis. Of the 39 cases of human 
tuberculosis tested, 4, or over 10 per cent, were virulent for cattle 
and would be classified as of bovine origin; but these 4 cases were all 
found among the 16 cases of tuberculosis in children which the com- 
mission investigated; hence it is plain that 25 per cent of the cases 



422 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tested of tuberculosis in ehildreu would by Koch's method bo classified 
as of bovine origin. 

In the Bureau of Animal Industry two distinct lines of experiments 
have been carried on, in order that one might serve as a check against 
the other. There has been, however, no discrepancy in the results. 
De Schweinitz, in the Biochemic Division, Bureau of Animal Indus- 
try, has isolated 9 cultures from human tuberculosis. Two of these 
were derived from human sputum, 3 from cases of generalized tuber- 
culosis in adults, and 4 from cases of generalized tuberculosis in chil- 
dren. By comi)aring these cultures with a newly isolated virulent 
culture of bovine tuberculosis, there were found among them 2 cultures 
from children which were identical in theircultural and morphological 
characters with the bovine bacillus. These cultures also killed rabbits 
and guinea pigs in as short a time as did the bovine bacillus. Hogs 
which were inoculated subcutaneously with these 2 cultures from chil- 
dren died of generalized tuberculosis. Two calves weighing over 300 
pound^ each were inoculatec^subcutaneously with these virulent human 
cultures, and as a result developed generalized tuberculosis. A year- 
ling heifer inoculated with 1 of the cultures showed generalized tuber- 
culosis when killed three months after inoculation. Both the cattle 
and the hogs liad been tested with tuberculin and found to be free 
from tuberculosis before the inoculations were made. It is important 
to observe in this connection that 2 out of 4, or 50 per cent, of the 
cultures obtained from cases of generalized tuberculosis in children 
proved virulent for cattle. 

Mohler, working in the Pathological Division, Bureau of Animal 
Indu.'-try, has obtained 3 very virulent cultures of tubercle bacilli 
from the human subject. A goat inoculated subcutaneouslj'' with 1 
of these cultures died in thirty-seven days with miliar}^ tuberculosis of 
the lungs involving the axillary and prescapular glands. This bacillus 
was obtained from the mesenteric gland of a boj'. Of still greater 
interest is a bacillus isolated by Mohler from human sputum, A goat 
inoculated subcutaneously with a culture of this germ died in ninetj^- 
iive days of pulmonary tuberculosis. A cat inoculated in the same 
manner died in twenty-three daj^s of generalized tuberculosis. A 
rabbit similarly inoculated died in fifty-nine days of pulmonary 
tuberculosis. Another rabbit inoculated with a bovine culture for 
comparison lived ten days longer than the one inoculated with this 
sputum germ. Mohler also inoculated subcutaneously a 1 -year-old 
heifer with a culture derived from the tubercular mesenteric gland of 
a boy 4 years of age. This culture was always refractory in its growth 
under artificial conditions, and the bacilli were short, stubby rods, 
corresponding in ai^pearance with the bovine t^^jie. At the autopsy, 
held one hundred and twenty-seven days after the inoculation, the 
general condition was seen to be poor and unthriftj^, and large, hard 
tumors were found at the points of inoculation. On the right side 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 423 

the swelling measured 3^ by o inches, and the corresponding- lymph 
gland was 2J inches long by If inches i)i diameter. This gland con- 
tained numerous calcareous foci; one of these at tlie apex was an 
incli in diameter. The lesions on the left shoulder of the animal were 
very similar to those found on the right side, but the dimensions of 
the tumor were slightly less. The lungs i^resented an irregular mass 
of lulxjrcular )io<Udes, and 7 or 8 grai)e-like nodules were seen on tlie 
l)arietal pleura. Uronchial and mediastinal lymph "glands contained 
numerous tubercular foci, and the pericardium, peritoneum, spleen, 
and liver were also affected. 

In order to tlirow some light, if jjossible, upon the morphological 
constancy of the different types of tubercle bacilli, Mohlcr has made 
comparative studies of bacilli from various sources, and Avhicli had 
been passed through various species of animals, by making the cul- 
tures upon dog serum after the method described by Theobald Smith. 
Some important results have been obtained. One culture of human 
bacilli which had moi-phological and cultural peculiarities similar to 
those of the bovine bacillus, and wliich only produced local lesions in 
cattle, was j)assed through a series of five cats. It was then found to 
be comi^letely changed in its mori)hological characters, the rods being 
elongated, slender, more or less beaded, and entirelj^ of the human 
t3'pe. But far from decreasing in virulence, as might be expected 
from its morphological appearance, this bacillus liad so increased in 
its i:>athogenic activity that it now produced generalized tuberculosis 
in a cow. This cow was inoculated subcutaneously in fi-ont of eacli 
shoulder with 2 c. c. of a salt solution emulsion of the tuberculous 
omentum of the last cat of tlie series. The cow rapidly lost flesh, 
had a temperature of 104° F., witli tiie point of inoculation and adja- 
cent glands greatly swollen. The autopsy revealed generalized tuber- 
culosis, involving the lungs, mediastinal glands, spleen, liver, and 
kidnej's. Tubercle bacilli of the bovine type obtained from the 
mesenteric glands of a sheep, hog, and cow were similarly trans- 
formed in their morphological appearance after being passed through 
a series of cats and recovered on dog serum. These bacilli also 
increased in virulence, as the last cat in the series invariably suc- 
cumbed in a shorter time than the first of the series. 

These experiments and observations indicate that the types of 
tubercle bacilli are very inconstant, and that under suitable condi- 
tions they readily change both in morphology and in virulence. A 
similar conclusion was reached bj' other investigators in working 
with the avian and piscine types of tubercle bacilli several years ago, 
and was reasonably to have been expected Avith the human and bovine 
types. 

It must be plain to all, from these recent developments, that too 
much has been made of the slight differences in cultural character- 
istics, in morpliology, and in virulence which have been observed in 



424 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

some cases in compariug the liiiman and the bovine bacilli. The 
observations were interesting, and it was important that they should 
be followed up until their significance was made entirely clear; but 
it was an almost unpardonable error, from a sanitary point of view, 
to promulgate sweeping generalizations calculated to arrest and 
abolish important measures for j)reventing iiunian tuberculosis before 
the soundness of these generalizations had been established by a 
thorough course of experimentation. 

When Koch said in the British Congress on Tuberculosis that he 

TUBERCULOSIS. 

[Description of plates.] 

Plate XXXIV, Tuberculosis of the lungs. The upper figures represent a lai-ge 
cheesy mass, surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue, the M^hole embedded 
in healthy lung tissiie. The lower figure illustrates in section a mass of tubercles 
which have undergone cheesy degeneration, and some of which are surrounded 
by dense connective tissue. 

Plate XXXV. Tuberculosis of the liver. A large portion of the lobe repre- 
sented in the plate has undergone tuberculovis changes. Numerous nodiiles are 
shown in various stages of the disease, the majority of which, however, contain 
the yellowish, partly cheesy, partly gritty areas characteristic of advanced tuber- 
culous degeneration. This large mass involves the surface of the liver, and also 
extends into the liver substance. 

Pl.\te XXXVI. A lymph gland from the region of the thorax behind or above 
the esophagus, or gullet (posterior, or dorsal, mediastinum). The gland is shown 
cut through and laid open. It is very much enlarged, and the yellowish cheesy 
masses which represent tissue undergoing tuberculous changes are well shown on 
the cut surface. 

Plate XXXVII. Represents the omentum, or caul, of a tuberculous cow. The 
preparation had been in alcohol for some time. The projecting masses are the 
tubercles, whence the name '"pearly disease" for that form of the malady in 
which these tubercles are present. They are mainly restricted to the lining 
membrane of the thorax and abdomen. 

Plate XXXVIII. Fig. 1. Lymphatic gland of the mesentery (the fold of mem- 
brane to which the small intestines are attached) cut open. The gland is very 
much enlarged. The yellowish portions represent tissue which has undergone 
tuberculous changes. 

Fig. 2. Omentum, or caul, resting upon the paunch. The reddish nodules with 
which the membrane is beset are tubercles, the product of the disease. Both 
specimens are from the same animal, a Jersey cow. 

Pl.vte XXXIX. Fig. 1. Tuberculosis of the sirloin and porterhouse cuts of beef . 
The grape-like tuberculous growths are mainly restricted to the lining membrane 
of the abdomen. 

Fig. 2. Tuberculosis of the pleura of cow, so-called "pearly disease."' Notice 
the grape-like clusters of tubercular nodules scattered over the lining membrane 
of the chest (pleura). 

Plate XL. Tuberculosis of a cow"s udder which appeared uniformly swollen 
and quite firm. Small cheesy foci and yellowish lines of tuberculous material 
follow the course of the milk ducts. The mucous membrane of the milk cistern 
(a) is ulcerated and covered with yellowish cheesy particles. The supramammary 
lymphatic gland (b) is greatly enlarged and contains many miliary tubercular 
foci. 



Jl 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate XXXIV 




Portions ofTuberculous Lungs from Cattle. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxxv 



Hames d 




Tuberculous Liver of Co 



w. 



n 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxxvi 



H 

c 

CD 

m 
O 

c 
r 
o 

c 

0) 

!7 

I 

O 

o 

I- 

> 

z 
o 







Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXXVII. 





Tuberculosis of the Omentum 'Caul.' 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xxxviii 




Fio.i 








Vie. 2 



Tuberculosis of Lymphatic Gland 
and OF Omentum ICaul.) 



JULIUS BIES & CO.N.Y, 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XXXIX. 




Fig. 1.— Tuberculosis of the Sirloin and Porterhouse Cuts 
OF Beef. 




Fig. 2.— Tuberculosis of Pleura of Cow— So-called Pearly 
Disease. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xl 




Haines del. 



JULIUS SIFN « CO.N.Y. 



Tuberculous Udder of Cow. 



1 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 425 

sliould estimate the extent of infection bj^' the milk and flesh of tuber- 
cular cattle and the butter made of their milk as hardly greater than 
that of hereditary transmission, and that he therefore did not deem 
it advisable to take any measures against it, he went far beyond what 
was justified by any experiments or observations which lie reijorted, 
and he did an immense amount of harm, which will be manifested for 
years to come to those who endeavor to guard the human race from 
the dangers of animal tuberculosis. The researches which have been 
alluded to make these dangers more definite and certain than thej'^ 
have appeared before, and sanitarians should therefore most ear- 
nestly endeavor to counteract the erroneous and harmful impression 
which was made by Koch's address at London and his subsequent 
address at the International Conference on Tuberculosis at Berlin. 

VARIOLA. 

Variola of cattle, commonl}" known as "cowpox," is a contagious 
disease of cattle which manifests its presence through an elevation of 
temperature, a shrinkage in milk production, and bj^ the appearance 
of characteristic pustular eruptions, especially \i]}on the teats and 
udders of dair}' cows. Although this is a contagious disease strictly 
speaking, it is so universally harmless and benign in its course that 
it is robbed of the terrors which usually accompanj" all spreading dis- 
eases, and is allowed to enter a herd of cattle, run its course, and dis- 
appear without exciting any i)articular notice. 

The disease is quite common in this countrj^, especially in the 
eastern States. 

The contagion of cowpox does not travel through the air from animal 
to animal, but is only transmitted b}^ actual contact of the contagious 
principle with the skin of some susceptible animal. It may be carried 
in this manner, not alone from cattle to cattle, but horses, sheep, 
goats, and man may readier contract the disease whenever suitable 
conditions attend their inoculation. 

An identical disease frequently appears upon horses, attacking their 
heels, and thence extending upward along the leg, producing, as it 
progresses, inflammation and swelling of the skin, followed later by 
pustules, which soon rupture, discharging a sticky, disagreeable secre- 
tion. Other i^arts of the body are frequently affected in like manner, 
especially in the region of the head, where the eruptions may appear 
upon lips and nostrils, or upon the mucous surfaces of the nasal cav- 
ities, mouth, or ej'es. 

Variola of the horse is readily transmitted to cattle, if both are 
cared for by the same attendant, and, conversely, variola of cattle may 
be carried from the cow to the horse on the hands of a person who 
has been milking a cow affected with the disease. 

The method of vaccination Avith material derived from the eruptions 
of cowpox as a safeguard against the ravages of smallpox in members 



426 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of tlie human family is well known. The immunity which such vac- 
cination confers upon the human subject lias led nianj^ writers to 
assert that cowpox is simpl}^ a modified form of smallpox, whose 
harmless attack upon the human system is due to a certain attenua- 
tion derived during its passage through the system of the cow or 
horse. The result of numerous experiments, which have been car- 
ried out for the purpose of determining the relationship existing 
between variola of the human and bovine families, seems to show, 
however, that although possessing many similar characteristics, they 
are nevertheless distinct, and that in spite of repeated inoculations 
from cattle to man, and vice versa, no transformation in the real 
character of the disease ever takes place. 

Symptoms. — The disease api^ears in four to seven daj^s after natural 
infection, or may evince itself in two or three days as the result of 
artificial inoculation. Young milch cows are most susceptible to an 
attack, but older cows, bulls, or 3'oung cattle are by no means immune. 
The attack causes a slight rise in temperature, which is soon followed 
by the appearance of reddened, inflamed areas, principally upon the 
teats and udder, and at times on the abdominal skin or the skin of 
the inner surface of the thighs. In a few cases the skin of the throat 
and jaws has been found similarly involved. If the affected parts are 
examined on the second day after the establishment of the inflamma- 
tion numerous pale red nodules will be found, which gradually expand 
until the}' reach a diameter of one-half inch or even larger within 
a few days. At this period the tops- of the nodules become trans- 
formed into vesicles Avhich are depressed in the center and contain a 
pale serous fluid. The}' usually reach their maturity b}^ the tenth 
da}^ of the course of the disease and are then the size of a bean. 
From this time the contents of the vesicles become purulent, which 
requires about three days, when the typical pox pustule is present, 
consisting of a swelling with broad, reddened base, within which is an 
elevated, conical abscess varying from the size of a pea to that of a 
hazelnut. 

The course of the disease after the full maturity of the pustule is 
rapid where outside interference has not caused a premature rupture 
of the small abscess at the apex of the swelling. The pustules gradu- 
ally become darker colored and dryer until nothing remains but a 
thick scab, which at last falls off, leaving only a slight whitish scar 
behind. The total duration of the disease covers some twenty daj^s 
in each animal, and, owing to the slow spread of the infection from 
animal to animal, nian}^ weeks maj' ehipse before a stable can be fully 
freed from it. The fallen scabs and crusts may retain their conta- 
gious properties for several days when mixed with litter and bedding 
upon the floor of the stable, and during this j)eriod they are at any 
time capable of producing new outbreaks should fresh cattle be 
brought into the stalls and thus come into actual contact with them. 



INFECTIOUS DISPJASES OF CATTLE. 427 

Again, the pustules may appear, one after another, on a single animal, 
in which case the duration of the disease is materially lengtliened. 

Treatment.— In herds of cattle tliat regularly receive careful han- 
dling, no special treatment will be found Jiecessary beyond the appli- 
cation of softening and disinfecting agents to such vesicles upon the 
teats as may have become ruptured by the hands of the milker. Car- 
bolized vaseline or iodoform ointment will be found well suited to this 
work. In more j^ersistent cases it may be found desirable to use a 
milking tube in order to prevent the repeated opening of the pustules 
during the operation of milking. Washing the sores twice daily with 
a weak solution of zinc cliloride (2|per cent solution) has been found 
to assist in checking the inflammation and to cleanse and heal the 
parts by its germicidal action. AVhen the udder is hard, swollen, and 
painful, support it by a bandage and foment frequently with hot 
water. If calves are allowed to suckle the cows the pustules become 
confluent, and the ulcerations may extend up into the teat, causing 
garget and ruining the whole quarter of the udder. 

As young cows are most susceptible to variola, the milker must 
exercise constant patience with these affected, animals so long as their 
teats or udders are sore and tender, else the patient may contract 
vicious habits while resisting painful handling. The flow of milk is 
usually lessened as soon as the fever becomes established, but returns 
to normal with the return of perfect health. 

The practice of thorough cleanliness in handling or milking affected 
cattle may, in manj^ instances, prevent the dissemination of the 
trouble among the healthy i)ortion of the herd, but even the greatest 
care may prove insufficient to check the spread until it has attacked 
each animal of the herd in turn. 

ACTINOMYCOSIS. 

(Pis. XLI to XLIII, inclusive.) 

Actinomycosis, also known as lumpy jaw, big jaw, wooden tongue, 
etc., is a chronic infectious disease characterized by the formation of 
peculiar tumors in various regions of the body, more particularly the 
head, and due to the specific action of a certain fungus (actinomyces). 
This fungus is an organism which occurs in the tissues in the form 
of rosettes, and it has therefore been termed the "ray fungus." The 
disease is not directly transmitted from one animal to another, but it 
seems apparent that the fungus is conveyed into the tissues by vari- 
ous foodstuffs through slight wounds of the mucous membrane of the 
mouth, decayed teetli, or during the shedding of milk teeth. The 
ray fungus is found in nature vegetated on grasses, on the awns of 
barley, the spears of oats, and on other grains. Quantities of the 
fungi have been found between the vegetable fibers of barlej' which 
liad penetrated the gums of cattle and on the awns of grain embedded 
in the tongues of cows. 



428 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Althoui^li actinomj'cotic tumors on cattle had been the object of 
study for many years, it was notnntil 1877 that the constant presence 
of actinomyces Avas pointed out by Bollinger, of Munich, and since 
that time considered the cause. This fungus has been observed in 
these tumors as early as 18G0 by Rivolta, and b}^ others subsequently, 
without having been suspected as causing them. 

Since Bollinger's publication a large amount of work has been done, 
many observations made, and many hitherto obscure disease proc- 
esses brought into relation with this fungus. Furthermore, a similar 
disease in man was first definitely shown to be associated with the 
same fungus in 1878 by Israel, and in the following year Ponfick 
pointed out that the disease described by Bollinger in animals and 
that found by Israel in man were due to the same cause; that is, that 
the fungi described by these observers were one and the same. 

The tumors and abscesses wherever they may be situated are all found 
to be the same in origin by the presence of the actinomyces fungus. 
When they are incised, a very close scrutiny with the naked eye, or at 
most a hand lens, will reveal the presence of minute grains which vary 
from a pale-yellow to a sulphur-yellow color. They jnay be very abun- 
dant or so few as to be overlooked. They are embedded in the soft 
tissue composing the tumor or in the pus of the abscess. With a needle 
they are easily lifted out from the tissue, and then they appear as 
roundish masses about one-half millimeter ( j^ inch) in diameter. To 
anj^one familiar with the use of a microscope the recognition of these 
grains or particles without any previous preparation is a compara- 
tively easy task. 

When examined in the fresh condition under a microscope magnif}'- 
ing ui) to 250 diameters the general structure is made out without 
much difficult}'. These grains consist of collections of minute round- 
ish masses. Their outer surface is made up of club-shaped bodies all 
radiating from the center of the mass (see PI. XLI, fig. 2), some- 
what like a rosette. If the fungus is crushed, the interior is found 
made up of bundles of very fine filaments, which nve i:>robabl3' con- 
tinuous into the club-shaped bodies. The addition of a dilute solu- 
tion of caustic soda or potash greatly aids the examination, since it 
removes the layer of cells adhering to the fungus, which obscures the 
structure. Now and then these grains are found to be in a calcified 
condition. The exterior is incrusted in lime salts, which are dis- 
solved by adding some weak dilute acid, like acetic acid. Only by 
this procedure can the fungus be definitely recognized when in a mum- 
mified condition. 

These are the bodies whose presence causes sufficient irritation in 
the tissues into which they find their way to set up inflammatory 
growths. Tliese growths increase as the fungus continues to multiply 
until they reach enormous dimensions, if the affected animal is per- 
mitted to live long enough. The true nature of this parasite is not 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 429 

yet (lefmitely settled, although many excellent observers have occu- 
pied themselves with it. According to earlier observers it is a true 
fungus. Later ones are inclined to place it among tlie higlier bac- 
teria. Further investigations will be necessary to clear up tliis 
subject. 

Whatever be the situation of the disease caused by actinomyces, 
its nature is fundamentally the same and peculiar to the fungus. 
The pathological details which make this statement clear can not be 
entered upon in this place, nor would they be of any practical value 
to the farmer. We will simplj' dwell upon a few obvious characters. 

The consistency of the tumor varies in different situations accord- 
ing to the quantity of fibrous or connective tissue present. When 
very little of this is present the tumor is of a verj?" soft consistency. 
As the quantity of connective tissue is increased the tumor is firmer 
and of a more hone^^combed appearance. The individual actino- 
myces colonies are lodged in the spaces or interstices formed by the 
meshwork of the connective tissue. There they are surrounded by 
a mantle of cellular elements which fill up the spaces. By scraping 
the cut surface of such a tumor these cell masses inclosing the fungi 
come awa}^ and the latter may be seen as pale-yellow or sulphur- 
yellow specks, as described above. 

Location ofilie disease. — In cattle the disease process may be located 
both externally, where it is readily detected, and in internal organs. 
Its preferred seat is on the bones of the lower and upper jaAv, in the 
parotid salivary gland in the angle of the jaw, and in the region of 
the throat. It may also appear under the skin in different parts of 
the body. Internally it may attack the tongue and appear in the 
form of a tumor in the mouth, pharynx, and larji-ux. It may cause 
extensive disease of the lungs, more rarely of the digestive tract. 

It appears, furthermore, that in certain districts or countries the 
disease seems to attack by preference certain parts. Thus in Eng- 
land actinomycosis of the tongue is most prevalent. In Denmark the 
soft parts of the head are most j)rone to disease, wiiile in Russia the 
lips are the usual seat. In certain parts of Germany actinomycotic 
tumoi's of the throat (pharynx), in others disease of the jawbones, is 
most frequently encountered. 

A description of actinoni3'cosis of the jaw (lumpy jaw) and of the 
tongue has already been given in a previous chapter, and hence they 
will be dealt with here only ver}^ briefly. When the disease attacks 
the soft parts of the head a rather firm swelling appears, in which are 
formed one or more smaller projecting tumors, varj'ing from the size 
of a nut to that of an egg. These push their way outward and finally 
break through the skin as small, reddish, fungus-like bodies covered 
with thin sloughs. Or the original swelling, in place of enlarging in 
the manner described, maj^ become transformed into an abscess which 
finally bursts to discharge creamy pus. The abscess cavity, however. 



430 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

does not disappear, 1)iit is soon filled with fungus-like growths wliicli 
force their way outward through the opening. 

When tlie tumors are situated within the cavity of the pharj'nx 
they have broken through from some gland, perhaps beneath the 
mucous membrane, where the disease first appeared, and hang or pro- 
ject into the cavity of the pharynx, either as pendulous masses with 
a slender stem or as tumors with a broad base. Their position may 
be such as to interfere with swallowing and with breathing. In either 
case serious sjanjitoms will soon appear. 

The invasion of the bones of the jaws l)y aetinomj'cosis must be 
regarded as one of the most serious forms of the disease (Pis. XLI, 
XLIII, fig. 1.) It iniij start in the marrow of the bone and by a slow 
extension gradually undermine the entire thickness of the bone itself. 
The growth may continue outward and after W'Orklng its way through 
muscle and skin finally break through and appear externally as stink- 
ing fungoid growths. The growth may at the same time work its way 
inward and appear in the mouth. The disease may also begin in the 
I)eriosteum, or covering of the bone, and destroj^ the bone from without 
inward, 

Actinomj^eosis of the lungs is occasionally observed, and it is not 
imi;)robable that it has been mistaken at times for tuberculosis. The 
actinomyces grains are, however, easily observed if the diseased tissue 
be carefully examined. The changes in the lungs as they appear to 
the naked eye vary considerably from case to case. Thus, in one 
animal the lungs were affected as in ordinarj^ broncho-pneumonia as 
to the location, extent, and appearance of the disease process. The 
affected lobes had a dark-red flesh appearance, with 3-ellowish areas 
sprinkled in here and there. (vSee PL XLII, figs. 1, 2.) These latter 
areas were the seat of multiplication of the actinomyces fungus. In 
another case, of which only a small portion of the lungs were sent to 
the laboratorj^, these w^ere completelj^ transformed into a uniformly 
graj'ish mass, very soft and pulpj' to the touch, and appearing like 
very soft and moist dough. (PI. XLII, fig. 3.) The actiuom3-ces 
grains were exceedingly abundant in this tissue, and appeared when 
the tissue was incised as minute sulphur-yellow grains, densely 
sprinkled through the tissue, which readily came away and adhered 
to the knife blade. In still another case a portion of the lung tissue 
was converted into large, soft masses from 1 to 3 inches in diameter, 
each partly inclosed in very dense connective tissue. These soft, 
graj'ish-j'ellow masses likewise resembled moist dough in their consist- 
ency", and the actinomyces grains, though neither ver\- distinct nor at 
all abundant, were easily fished out and identified as such. A portion 
of this growth, which Avas as large as a child's head, was converted 
into an abscess filled with creamy semiliquid jdus. 

This case differed from the preceding in that all appearance of lung 
tissue had disappeared from the diseased mass. Only on the exterior 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 431 

tlie lung tissue could be recognized, altbougli oven there it had been 
largely converted into very dense, whitish, connective tissue inclosing 
the fungoid growth. In the other case the external form of the lung 
and the shape and outline of tlie lobules were preserved, l)ut tlie lung 
tissue itself was not recognizable as such. In the case first mentioned 
the changes were still less marked, and actinomj'cosis would not have 
been suspected b}^ a simple inspection. Tliese few illustrations suffice 
to show that actinom3'cosis of the lungs may aj^pear under quite dif- 
ferent forms, and that the nature of the disease can be accurately 
determined only by finding the fungus itself. Rarely actinomycosis 
attacks the body externally in places other than the head and neck. 
Crookshank describes the case of a bull in which tlie flank was 
attacked and subsequentl}' the scrotum became diseased. A large 
portion of the skin of the flank w^as destroyed and covered with a 
leatheiy crust. When this was pulled away the pus beneath it showed 
the actiuomyces grains to the naked eye. 

Actinomycosis may also involve the udder, the spermatic cord of 
castrated animals, vagina, and, Avhen it becomes generalized, the brain, 
liver, spleen, and muscular tissue. 

Actinomj-cosis may in some cases be confounded with tuberculosis. 
The diagnosis does not offer any difficulties, since the presence of the 
actiuomyces fungus at once removes any existing doubts. As has 
already- been intimated, these grains, simulating sulphur balls, are 
visible to the naked eye, and their nature is readily determined Avith 
the aid of a microscope. 

The course of the disease is quite slow. As the tumors grow ih.ey 
may interfere Avith the natural functions of the body. According to 
their situation, mastication, rumination, or breathing may be inter- 
fered with, and in this way the animal may become emaciated. Acti- 
nomycosis of the jawbones leads to destruction of tlie teeth and 
impedes the movements necessary to chewing the food. Similarly, 
when the disease attacks the soft parts of the head obstructions may 
arise in the mouth by an inward growth of the tumor. If tumors 
exist in the pharjmx they may partiallj'" obstruct the movements 
necessary to breathing, or close the air passages and cause partial 
suffocation. Actinomj^cosis of the tongue, in interfering Avith the 
many and A^aried movements of this important organ, is also a serious 
matter. There is no reason to suppose that the localized disease 
interferes with the general health in any other way than indirectlj^ 
until internal organs, such as the lungs, become iuA^oh'ed. 

A Yery small projDortion of the cases may recoA^er spontaneously, 
the tumors being encysted or undergoing calcification. In most cases 
the disease 3*ields readily to proper treatment, and about 75 per cent 
of the affected animals may be cured. 

Preveniion. — The question as io how and Avhere animals take this 
disease is one concerning which Ave are still in the stage of conjecture. 



432 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

because we possess as j'et very little information concerning the life 
histoiy of the actinomyces itself. The quite unanimous view of all 
observers is that animals become infected from the food. The fungus 
is lodged upon the plants and in some waj'^ enters the tissues of the 
head, the lungs, and the digestive tract, where it sets up its peculiar 
activit3\ It is likewise generally believed that the fungus is, as it 
were, inoculated into the affected part. This inoculation is performed 
by the sharp and pointed parts of plants which penetrate the mucous 
membrane and carry with them the fungus. The disease is therefore 
inoculable rather than contagious. The mere presence of the diseased 
animal will not give rise to disease in healthy animals unless the a,cti- 
nomyces grains pass directly from the diseased into some wound or 
abrasion of the healthy or else drop ujoon the food which is consumed 
by the healthy. Not only are these views deducible from clinical 
observation, but they have been proved hy the positive inoculation of 
calves and .smaller animals with actinomyces. The danger therefore 
of the presence of actinomj^ces for healthy animals is a limited one. 
Nevertheless an animal affected with this disease should not be 
allowed to go at large or run with other animals. If the fungus is 
being scattered by discharging growths we certainl}^ can not state at 
this stage of our knowledge that other animals may not be infected by 
such distribution, and we must assume, until more positive informa- 
tion is at hand, that this aetuallj^ occurs. 

It is, however, the opinion of the majority of authorities that when 
actinomycosis appears among a large number of animals they all con- 
tract it in the same way from the food. Much speculation has there- 
fore arisen whether anj^ particular plant or groui:) of plants is the 
source of the infection and whether any special condition of the soil 
favors it. Very little positive information is at hand on these ques- 
tions. It would be ver}^ desirable for those who live in localities 
where this disease is prevalent to make statistical and other observa- 
tions on the occurrence of the disease with reference to the season of 
the 5'ear, the kind of food, the nature of the soil (whether swampj^ or 
dry, recently reclaimed or cultivated for a long time) upon which the 
animals are pastured or upon which the food is grown. 

It is highlj' probable that such investigations will lead to an under- 
standing of the source of the fungus and the means for checking 
the spread of the disease itself. A^eterinarian Jensen, of Denmark, 
made some observations upon an extensive outbreak of actinom^^cosis 
a numl)er of j'^ears ago, which led him to infer that the animals 
were inoculated by eating barle}' straw harvested from pieces of 
ground just reclaimed from the sea. "While the animals remained 
unaffected as long as thej'^ pastured on this ground or ate the hay 
obtained from it, they became diseased after eating the straw of 
cereals from the same territory. Others have found that cattle grazing 
upon low pastures along the banks of streams and subject to inunda- 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 433 

tious are more prone to the disease. It has also been observed that 
food gathered from such grounds may give rise to the disease even 
after prolonged drying. Actinomycosis is not infrequent in soutli- 
western cattle and is generallj^ supposed to be the result of eating 
the i:)rickly friiit of the cactus plant, causing wounds of the mucous 
membrane and subsequent infection with the parasite. Much addi- 
tional information of a similar kind must bo fortlicoming before the 
source and manner of infection in this disease and its dependence 
upon external conditions will be known. It is 7iot at all improbable 
that these may vary considerably from place to place. 

Treatment. — This has been until recently almost entirely surgical. 
When the tumors are external and attached to soft parts onl}', an 
early removal may lead to recovery. This, of course, can only be 
undertaken by a trained veterinarian, especiall}' as the various parts 
of the head and neck contain important vessels, nerves, and ducts 
Avhich should be injured as little as possible in any operation. Unless 
the tumor is completely removed it will reappear. Disease of the 
jawbones is at best a very serious matter, and treatment is likely to 
be of no avail. 

In March, 1892, an important contribution to our knowledge of this 
subject was made by M. Nocard, of the Alfort Veterinary School, in a 
communication to the French Central Society of Yeterinar}' Medicine. 
He showed clearly that tlie actinomycosis of the tongue, a disease 
which appears to be quite common in Germany, and is there known 
as "wooden tongue," could be quickly and joermaneutl}^ cured by the 
administration of iodide of potassium. M. Nocard calls attention to 
the success of M. Thomassen, of Utrecht, who recommended this treat- 
ment as long ago as 1885, and who has since treated more than 80 cases, 
all of which have been cured. A French veterinarian, M. Godbille, 
has treated a number of cases of actinomycosis in the tongue with the 
saiuo remedy, all of which have been cured. M. Nocard also gives 
details of a case which was cured by himself. 

All of the cases referred to were of actinomycosis of the tongue, and 
no one appears to have attempted the cure of actinomycosis of the 
jaw until this was undertaken by Doctor Norgaard, of tlie Bureau of 
Animal Industry. He selected a young steer in April, 1892, in fair 
condition, which had a tumor on the jaw measuring 15| inches in cir- 
cumference and from which a discharge had already been established. 
This animal was treated with iodide of potassium, and the result was 
a complete cure. 

The iodide of potassium is given in doses of H to 2h: drams once 
a day, dissolved in water, and administered as a drench. The dose 
should vary somewhat with the size of the animal and with the 
effects that are produced. If the dose is sufficiently large there appear 
signs of iodism in the course of a week or ten daj'S. The skin becomes 
scurfy, there is weeping from the eyes, catarrh of the nose, and loss of 
8267—04 — -28 



434 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

appetite. AVhon these s3ini;)toms appear the medicine inaj' be sus- 
pended for a few days and afterwards resumed in the same dose. The 
cure requires from three to six weeks' treatment. Some animals do 
not improve under treatment with iodide of i)otassium, and these are 
generally the ones which show no signs of iodism. 

If there is no sign of improvement after the animals have been 
treated four or five weeks, and the medicine has been given in as largo 
doses as appear desii'able, it is an indication that the particular animal 
is not susceptible to the curative effects of the drug, and the treatment 
may therefore be abandoned. 

It is not, however, advisable to administer iodide of potassium to 
milch cows, as it will considerably reduce the milk secretion or stop it 
altogetlier. Furthermore, a great part of the drug is excreted through 
the milk, making the milk unfit for use. It should not be given to ani- 
mals in advanced pregnane}^, as there is danger of producing abortion. 

The best results are obtained by pushing the drug until you see its 
effect. The many tests to which this treatment has been subjected 
have proved with few exceptions its specific curative value. In addi- 
tion to this the tumor should be iDainted externallj' with the tincture 
of iodine or Lugol's solution, or one of these solutions should be injected 
subcutaneously into the tumor. 

M. Godbille has given as much as 4 drams of potassium iodide in 
one day to a steer, decreasing the dose one-fourth dram each day until 
the dose was 1^ drams, which was maintained until the twelfth day 
of treatment, when the steer appeared entireh^ cured. 

M. Noeard gave the first day 1^ drams in one dose to a cow; the 
second and succeeding days a dose of 1 dram in the morning and even- 
ing, in each case before feeding. This treatment was continued for 
ten days, when the animal was cured. 

Actinoniycosis and tlie puhllc liealth. — The interest which is shown 
concerning this cattle disease is largel}'' due to the fact that the same 
disease attacks human beings. Its sIoav progress, its tendency to 
remain restricted to certain localities, and tlie absence of an}- directly 
contagious properties have thus far not aroused anj- anxiety^ in other 
countries as to its influence on the cattle industr}-, not even to the 
point of j)lacing it among the infectious diseases of which statistics 
are annually published. Its jDossible bearing on public health has, 
however, given this disease a place in the public mind which it hardl}" 
deserves. 

It lias alread}^ been stated that the actinomyces fungus found in 
human disease is considered by authorities the same as that occurring 
in bovine affections. It is therefore of interest to conclude this article 
with a brief discussion of the disease in man and its relation to acti- 
nomycosis in cattle. 

In man the location of the disease process corresponds fairl}' avcII 
with that in cattle. The majority of cases which have been reported 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 435 

in different parts of the world — and they are now quite numerous — 
indicate disease of tlie face. The skin, tongue, or the jawbones maj- 
become affected, and by a very slow process it may extend downward 
upon the neck and even into the cavity of the chest. In many cases 
the teeth have been found in a state of more or less advanced decay 
and ulceration. In a few cases disease of the lungs was observed 
Avitliout coexisting disease of the bones or soft, parts of the head. In 
such cases the fungus must have been inhaled. Tlie disease of the 
lungs after a time extends upon the chest wall. Here it may corrode the 
ribs and work its way through the muscles and the skin. An abscess 
is thus formed discharging pus containing actinomj'ces grains. Dis- 
ease of the digestive organs caused by this fungus has also been 
observed in a few instances. 

Granting the identity of the disease in man and cattle, the question 
has been raised whether cattle are responsible for the disease in man. 
Any transmission of the infectious agent may be conceived of as taking 
place during the life of the animal and after slaughter from the meat. 
That human beings have contracted actinomycosis by coming in con- 
tact with diseased cattle is not shown by the cases that have hitherto 
been reported, for the occupations of most of the patients did not bring 
them into any relation whatever with cattle. AVhilethe possibility of 
such direct transmission is not denied, nevertheless it must be consid- 
ered extremel}' rare. Practically the same position is maintained at 
present by most authorities as regards the transmission of the disease to 
man bj" eating meat. Israel, who has studied this question carefully, 
found the disease in Jews who never ate pork<^ and who likewise v/ere 
protected by the rigorous meat inspection practiced by their sect from 
bovine actinomycosis. Furthermore, it must be borne in mind that acti- 
nomycosis is a local disease, causing great destruction of tissue where 
the fungus multiplies, but very rarely becoming generally disseminated 
over the body from the original disease focus. The fungus is only found 
in places where the disease process is manifest to the eye or becomes 
so in a very short time after the lodgment of the fungus. Only the 
greatest negligence would allow the actually diseased parts to be sold 
and consumed. Finally, this parasite, like all others, would be 
destroyed in the process of cooking. The majority of authorities thus 
do not believe that actinomycosis in man is directly traceable to the dis- 
ease in animals, but are of the opinion that both man and animals are 
infected from a third source. This source has already been discussed 
above. How far these views ma}^ be modified by further and more 
telling investigations of tlie parasitic fungus itself no one can predict. 
There are still wide gaps in our knowledge, and the above presenta- 
tion simply summarizes the prevailing views, to which there are, of 
course, dissenters. An attempt to give the views of both sides on this 
question would necessitate the summarizing and impartial discussion 

«Hogs are subject to actinomycosis. 



436 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of all the experiments thus far made — a task entirely bej^ond the 
scope of the present work. 

Whether an animal affected with actinomycosis shoiild be used for 
human food after all diseased organs and tissues have been thoroughly 
removed is a question the answer to which deijends on a variety of 
circumstances. Among these may be mentioned the thoroughness 
of the meat inspection itself, which allows no really diseased animal 
to i)ass muster; the extent of the disease, and the general condition 
of the animal affected. 

If the tumors in the carcass are small, and not generalized, the 
affected parts should be destroyed and the remainder may be used 
for human food. When, however, the disease is suilticiently developed 
to cause large swellings and abscesses which are freely discharging 
pus into the alimentary canal, and when the general health of the 
animal is affected, the carcass should be condemned, as the meat is 
not in a proper condition for food. The carcass should also be 
destroyed when the lungs or internal lymphatic glands are affected, or 
when there are a large number of centers of disease scattered through- 
out the body. 

ACTINOMYCOSIS. 

[Description of plates.] 

Plate XLI. Fig. 1. Actinomycosis of the jaw. The lower jawbone has been 
extensively eaten away by the disease. Fig. 2. Actinomyces fungus from a tumor 
of the jawbone in cattle, magnified 550 times. Both figures are taken from Jolme 
(Encyldopadie d. ges. Thierheilkunde). 

Plate XLII. Actinomycosis of the lungs. Fig. 1. Transverse section of the 
ventral lobe of the right lung, from a case studi d in the laboratory. The yellow- 
ish dots represent the places where the actinomyces fungus is lodged. The larger 
yellowish patches are produced by the confluence of a number of isolated centers. 
The entire lobe is of a dark flesh-red color, due to collapse and broncho-pneumonia. 
Fig. 2. The cut surface of a portion of the principal lobe of the same lung, show- 
ing the recent invasion of antinomycosis from the other lobe: a, large air tube; 
b, artery; c, a pneumonic lobule; rZ, lobule containing minute yellowish dots. In 
these the actinomyces fimgus is lodged. Fig. 3. Cut surface of a small portion of 
another lung, showing a few lobules a. The fujgus is sprinkled throughout the 
lung tissue in the form of yellowish grains, as shown in the illiTstration. The 
pleural covering of the lung tissue is shown in profile above. 

Plate XLIII. Actinomycosis of the jaw (lumpy jaw, etc. ). reduced one-half. 
(From Johne, in Encyldopadie d. gesammt. Thierheilkunde.) The lower jaw is 
.sawn through transversely, i. e., from right to left, and shows the disease within 
the jawbone itself; «, within the mouth, showing the papillte on the mucous mem- 
brane of the cheek; h. front view of a molar tooth; c, the skin covering the lower 
surface of the jawbone; d, the jawbone hollowed out and enlarged by the forma- 
tion of cavities within it, which are filled with the soft growth of the actinomy- 
cotic tumor. The section makes it appear as if the bone were broken into fragments 
and these forced apart; c, a jiortion of the tumor which has broken through the 
bono and the skin and appears as a tumor on the cheek. The little roundish masses 
represent the granulomata (minute tumors) in which the fungus vegetates. 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XL I. 




Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xlii 



?i- 



'^r^^mik 






.lUS BIEN & CO. I 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XL III. 




t*«<^*«rf', e/e^. 



Actinomycosis of the Jaw. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 437 

ANTHRAX. 

Anthrax, or charbon, may be defined as an infectious disease which 
is caused by specific bacteria, known as anthrax bacilli, and which is 
more or less restricted by conditions of soil and moisture to definite 
geographical localities. While it is chiefly limited to cattle and sheep, 
it may be transmitted to goats, horses, cats, and certain kinds of 
game. Smaller animals, such as mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs, 
speedilj^ succumb to inoculation. Dogs and hogs are slightly sus- 
ceptible, while fowls are practically immune. The variet}' of domes- 
ticated animals which it may attack renders it one of the most dreaded 
scourges of animal life. It may even attack man. Of this more will 
be stated farther on. 

Cause. — The cause of anthrax is a microscopic organism known .as 
the anthrax bacillus. (See PI. XXIX, fig. 7.) In form it is cylindri- 
cal or rod-like, measuring j^Vir to ^g'y q- inch in length and ^j^titt inch in 
diameter. Like all bacteria, these rod-like bodies have the power of 
indefinite multiplication, and in the body of infected animals they 
pi-oduce death by rapidly' increasing in numbers and i)roducing sub- 
stances which poison the body. In the blood they multiply in num- 
ber hy becoming elongated and then dividing into two, each new 
organism continuing the same process indefinitely. Outside of the 
bod}', however, \\\ey multiply in a different way when under condi- 
tions unfavorable to growth. Oval bodies, which are called spores, 
appear within the rods, and remain alive and capable of germina- 
tion after years of drying. They also resist heat to a remarkable 
degree, so that boiling water is necessary to destroy them. The 
bacilli themselves, on the other hand, show only very little resistance 
to heat and drying. It has long been known that the anthrax virus 
thrives best under certain conditions of the soil and on territories 
subject to floods and inundations. The particular kinds of soil 
upon whicli the disease is observed are black, loose, warm, humous 
soils, also those containing lime, marl, and clay, finalh' peaty, swampy 
soils resting upon strata which hold the water, or, in other words, are 
impervious. Hence fields containing stagnant pools may be the 
source of infection. The infection may be limited to certain farms, 
or even to restricted areas on such farms. Even in the Alps, over 
3,009 feet above sea level, where such conditions prevail in secluded 
vallej's, anthrax persists among herds. 

Aside from these limitations to specific conditions of the soil, anthrax 
is a disease of world-wide distribution. It exists in most countries of 
Europe, in Asia, Africa, Australia, and in our own countr}^ in the 
lower Mississippi Valley, the Gulf States, and in some of the Eastern 
and Western States. It seems to be gradually spreading in this coun- 
try and occurs in new districts every j'ear. 

Meteorological conditions also have an important share in determin- 
ing the severity of the disease. On those tracts subject to inunda- 



438 - DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tions in spring a very hot, dry summer is apt to cause a severe outbreak. 
The relation which the bacillus bears to these conditions is not posi- 
tively known. It may be that during and immediately after inunda- 
tions or in stagnant water the bacilli find enough nourishment in the 
water here and there to multiph' and produce an abundant crop of 
spores, which are subsequentlj' carried, in a dry condition, by the 
winds during the period of drought and disseminated over tlie vege- 
tation. Animals feeding upon this vegetation may contract the dis- 
ease if the spores germinate in the body. 

Another source of the virus, and one regarde'^ by manj' authorities 
as perhaps the most important, is the body of an animal which has 
died of anthrax. It will be remembered that in such bodies the 
anthrax bacilli are i^resent in enormous numbers, and wherever blood 
or other body fluids are exposed to the air on the surface of the carcass 
there the formation of spores will go on in the warm season of the year 
with great rapidity. It will thus be readily understood how this dis- 
ease may become stationary in a given locality and appear jeav after 
year and even grow in severity if the carcasses of animals which have 
succumbed to it are not properly disposed of. These should be buried 
deeply, so that spore formation may be i:)revented and no animal have 
access to them. By exercising this lorecaution the disease will not be 
disseminated by flies and other insect pests. 

"NYe have thus two agents at work in maintaining the disease in any 
locality — the soil and meteorological conditions and the carcasses of 
animals that have died of the disease. Besides these dangers, which 
are of immediate consequence to cattle on pastures, the virus may be 
carried from place to place in hides, hair, wool, hoofs, and horns, and 
it ma}" be stored in the hay or other fodder from the infected fields and 
cause an outbreak among stabled animals feeding upon it in winter. 
In this manner the affection has been introduced into far distant 
localities. 

Hoiv cattle are infected. — We have seen above that the spores of the 
anthrax bacilli, which correspond in their functions to the seeds of higher 
l^lants, and which are the elements that resist the unfavorable conditions 
in the soil, air, and water longest, are the chief agents of infection. Thej' 
may be taken into the body with the food and produce disease which 
begins in the intestinal tract; or thej' may come in contact with 
scratches, bites, or other wounds of the skin, the mouth, and tongue, 
and produce in these situations swellings or carbuncles. From such 
swellingp the bacilli penetrate into the blood and produce a general 
disease. 

It has likewise been claimed that tlie disease maybe transmitted l)y 
various kinds of insects which carry the bacilli from the sick and inoc- 
ulate the healthy as they pierce the skin. When infection of the blood 
takes place from the intestines the carbuncles may be absent. It 1ms 
already been stated that since the anthrax spores live for several 3'ears, 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 439 

the disease may be contracted in winter from food gathered on por- 
manentlj'^ infected fields. 

The disease may appear sporadically, i. e., only one or several ani- 
mals maybe infected while the rest of the herd remain well, or it may 
appear as an epizootic attacking a large number at about the same 
time. 

Suni2)toni.'^. — The symptoms in cattle vary considerably, according as 
the disease begins in the skin, in the lungs, or in the intestines. Thej' 
depend also on the severity of the attack. Thus we may have what is 
called anilu'dx peracuius or apoj)lectiform, when the animal dies very 
suddenl3' as if from apoi^lexy. Such cases usually occur in the begin- 
ning of an outbreak. The animal, without having shown any signs of 
disease, suddenly- drops down in the pasture and dies in convulsions, 
or an animal apparenth- well at night is found dead in the morning. 

The second type {anthrax acutus), without any external swellings, is 
the one most commonly observed in cattle. The disease begins with 
a high fever. The temperature may reach 106° to 107° F. The pulse 
beats from 80 to 100 per minute. Feeding and rumination are sus- 
pended. Chills and muscular tremors may appear and the skin show 
uneven temperature. The ears and base of the horns are cold, the coat 
staring. The animals are dull and stupid and manifest great weakness. 

To these sj'mptoms others are added in the course of the disease. 
The dullness may give way to great uneasiness, champing of the Jaws, 
spasms of the limbs, kicking and pawing the ground. The breathing 
may become labored. The nostrils then dilate, the mouth is open, the 
head raised, and all muscles of the chest are strained during breath- 
ing, while the visible mucous membranes (nose, mouth, rectum, and 
A'agina) become bluish. If the disease has started in the bowels, there 
is much pain, as shown by the moaning of the animal; the discharges, 
at first firm, become softer and covered with serum, mucus, and blood. 

As the disease approaches the fatal termination the weakness of the 
animal increases. It leans against supports or lies down. Blood ves- 
sels may rupture and give rise to spots of blood on the various mucous 
membranes and bloody discharges from nose, mouth, rectum, and 
vagina. The urine not infrequenth" contains blood (red-water). 
Death ensues within one or two daj'S. 

A third t3-pe of the disease {anthrax suhacuius) includes those 
cases in which the disease is more prolonged. It may last from three 
to seven days and tei^minate fatally or end in recovery. In this tj'pe, 
which is rarely observed, the sj^mptoms are practically as described 
in the acute form, only less marked. 

In connection with these types of intestinal anthrax, swellings may 
appear under the skin in different parts of the body, or the disease 
may start from such a swelling, caused by the inoculation of anthrax 
spores in one of the several different ways already described. If the 
disease begins in the skin it agrees in general with the subacute form 



440 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

in prolonged duration, and it may occasionally terminate in recovery 
if tlic swellings are thoroughly incised and treated. 

Lesions. — These swellings appear as edemas and carbuncles. The 
former are doughy tumors of a more or less flattish form passing grad- 
ually into the surrounding healthy tissue. Thej' are situated as a rule 
beneath the skin in the fatty layer, and the skin itself is at first of 
healthy appearance, so that they are often overlooked, especially when 
covered with a good coat of hair. When they are cut o^jen they are 
found to consist of a peculiar jelly-like mass of a yellowish color and 
more or less stained by blood. The carl)uncles are firm, hot, tender 
swellings, wliicli later become cool and painless and undergo mortifi- 
cation. The edemas and carbuncles may also appear in the mouth, 
pharynx, larynx, in the tongue, and in tlie rectum. 

The bodies of cattle which have died of anthrax soon lose their 
rigidity and become bloated, because decomposition sets in very rap- 
idly. From the mouth, nose, and anus blood-stained fluid flows in 
small (x^iantities. When such carcasses are oi^ened and examined, it 
will be found that nearlj' all organs are sprinkled with spots of blood 
or extravasations of various sizes. The spleen is enlarged from two 
to five times, the pulp blackish and soft and occasionally disinte- 
grated. The blood is of tarry consistency, not firmly coagulated, and 
blackish in color. In the abdomen, the thoracic cavity, and in the 
pericardium, or bag surrounding the heart, more or less blood-stained 
fluid is present. In addition to these characteristic signs, the car- 
buncles and swellings under the skin, already" described, will aid in 
.determining the true nature of the disease. The most reliable method 
of diagnosis is the examination of the blood and tissues for anthrax 
bacilli. This requires a trained bacteriologist. The fatal cases of 
anthrax number from 70 to 00 per cent, and are usually more numer- 
ous at the first outbreak of the disease. 

Differential diagnosis. — The diagnosis from blackl&g may be juade 
by noting the subcutaneous swellings which appear upon the patient. 
Those of blacJcleg are found to crackle under pressure with the finger, 
owing to the j)i'esence of gas within the tissues, while the tumors of 
anthrax, being due to the presence of serum, are entirely free from 
this qualitj^ and have a somewhat doughj' consistence. The tumors 
of blackleg usually locate on the shoulder or thigh and are not found 
so frequently about the neck and side of the body as are the swellings 
of anthrax. The blood of animals dead of blackleg is normal, and 
the spleen does not appear swollen or darkened, as in animals aft"ected 
with anthrax. The chief difi'erences between anthrax and Texas fever 
are that the course of the former is more acute and the blood of the 
animal is dark and of a tar-like consistence, while in the case of Texas 
fever it will be found thinner than normal. The presence of Texas 
fever ticks on the cattle would also lead one to suspect Texas fever in 
regions where cattle are not immune from this disease. 



IlSrFECTIOtJS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 441 

Treatment. — This is as a rule ineffectual and useless, excepting per- 
haps in cases which originate from external wounds. Tlie swellings 
should be opened freely by long incisions Avith a sliarp knife and 
washed several times daily with carbolic acid solution (1 ounce to a 
quart of water). Care should be taken to disinfect thoroughly anj^ 
fluid discharge that may follow sucli incision. When snpiiuration has 
set in, the ti-eatment recommended in tlie chapter on wounds should be 
carried out. 

Preveniion. — Since treatment is of little or no avail in this disease, 
prevention is the most important subject demanding consideration. 
The various means to be suggested may be brought under two heads; 
(1) The surroundings of the animal, and (2) protective inoculation. 

(1) What lias already been stated in the foregoing pages on those 
conditions of the pastures which are favorable to anthrax will suggest 
to most minds, after a little thought, some of the preventive measures 
which may be of service in reducing losses in anthrax localities. All 
that conduces to a better state of the soil should be attempted. Tlie 
State or Nation should do its share in preventing frequent inundations, 
by aj)propriate engineering. If i^ools of stagnant water exist on the 
pastures, or if any particular portions are known by experience to give 
rise to anthrax, they should be fenced off. Efforts should likewise be 
made toward the proper draining of swampy lands frequented by cat- 
tle. Sometimes it has been found desirable to abandon for a season 
any infected and dangerous pastures. This remedy can not be carried 
out by most farmers, and it is liable to extend the infected territory. 
In some instances withdrawal of cattle from pastures entirel}^ and 
feeding them in stables is said to have reduced the losses. 

It is of the utmost importance that carcasses of animals which have 
died of anthrax should be properly disposed of, since every portion of 
such animal contains the bacilli, ready to form s^iores when exposed to 
the air. Perhaps the simjilest means is to bury the carcasses deep, 
where they can not be exposed by dogs or wild animals. It may be 
necessary to hnvy them on the pasture, but it is better to remove them 
to places not frequented by susceptible animals and to a point where 
drainage from the graves can not infect any water supply. 

If they are moved some distance it must be borne in mind that the 
ground and all objects which have come in contact with the carcass 
should be disinfected. This is best accomplished with chloride of 
lime. For washing utensils, etc., a 5 per cent solution wvax be i^re- 
pared by adding 3 ounces lo 2 quarts of water. This should be pre- 
pared fresh from the powder, and it is but little trouble to have a 
small tin measure of known capacity to di^) out the powder, to be added 
to the water whenever necessary. The carcass and the ground should 
be sprinkled with j)owdered chloride, or, if this be not at hand, an 
abundance of ordinarj^ unslaked lime should be used in its place. 

The removal of carcasses to rendering establishments is always 



442 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

fraught with danger, unless those who handle them are thoroughly 
aware of the danger of scattering the virus by careless handling in 
wagons which are not tight. As a rule, the persons in charge of such 
transfer have no training for this important work, so that deep burial 
is to be preferred. Burning large carcasses is not always feasible. 
It is, however, the most certain means of destroying infectious mate- 
rial of any kind, and should be resorted to whenever practicable and 
economical. All carcasses, whether buried, rendered, or burned, 
should be disposed of without being opened. "When stables have 
become infected they should be thoroughly cleaned out, and the solu- 
tion of chloride of lime freel}' aj^plied on floors and woodwork. The 
feed should be carefulty protected from contamination with the 
manure or other discharges from the sick. 

(2) Preventive inoculation. — One of the most important discoveries 
in connection with this disease was made hj Louis Pasteur in 1881, 
and consisted in the new principle of producing immunity by the 
inoculation of weakened cultures of the bacillus causing the disease. 
This method has been quite extensively adopted in France, and to 
some extent in other European countries, and in the United States. 
The fluid used for inoculation consists of bouillon in which modified 
anthrax bacilli have multiplied and arc present in large numbers. 
The bacilli have been modified by heat so that they have lost to a 
certain degree their original virulence. Two vaccines are prepared. 
The first or weaker for the first inoculation is obtained by subjecting 
the bacilli to the attenuating effects of heat for a longer period of time 
than is the case with the second or stronger vaccine for a second 
inoculation some twelve days later. 

These vaccines have been used for cattle and sheep. Their j)ower 
to prevent a subsequent attack of anthrax has been the subject of 
controversy ever since their use began. The French claim that the 
vaccines are successful in protecting cattle and sheep and that the 
losses from anthrax in France have been much reduced by their per- 
sistent application. According to other observers thei'e are several 
difllculties inherent in the practical application of anthrax vaccina- 
tion. Among these may be mentioned the variable degree of attenua- 
tion of different tubes of the vaccine and the varj-ing susceptibility 
of the animals to be inoculated. Nevertheless, the use of this vac- 
cine is increasing and has reduced the mortality in the affected dis- 
tricts from an average of 10 per cent with sheep to less than 1 per 
cent, and from 5 per cent with cattle to less than one-half of 1 per cent. 

It is very important to call attention to the possibility of distribut- 
ing anthrax by this method of protective inoculation, since the bacilli 
themselves are present in the culture liquid. It is ti'ue that they have 
been modified and weakened by the process adopted by Pasteur, but 
it is not impossible that such modified virus may regain its original 
virulence after it has been scattered broadcast bv the inoculation of 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLP.. 443 

large herds. Xo vaccination should therefore be permitted in locali- 
ties free from anthrax. It is also obviously unsafe to have sucli vac- 
cine injected by a layman; instead, it should be handled only by a 
competent veterinarian. 

Anthrax is an entirely different disease from blackleg, and there- 
fore blackleg vaccine does not act as a i)reventive against antlirax. 

ANTHRAX IX niAX (MALIGNANT PUSTULE, OR CARBUNCLE). 

Anthrax may be transmitted to man in handling the carcasses and 
hides of animals which have succumbed to the disease. The infection 
nsuall}' takes place through some abrasion or slight wound of the 
skin into which the anthrax spores, or bacilli, find their way. The 
point of inoculation appears at first as a dark point or patch, com- 
pared by some writers to the sting of a flea. After a few hours this 
is changed into a reddened pimple, which bears on its summit, usually 
around a hair, a yellowish blister, or vesicle, which later on becomes 
red or bluish in color. The burning sensation in this stage is very 
great. Later on, this ijimple enlarges, its center becomes dry, gan- 
grenous, and is surrounded hy an elevated discolored swelling. The 
center becomes drier and more leather-like, and sinks in as the whole 
increases in size. The skin around this swelling, or carbuncle, is 
stained yelloAv or bluish, and is not infrequently swollen and doughy 
to the touch. The carbuncle itself rarel}^ grows larger than a pea or 
a small nut, and is but slightlj^ painful. 

Anthrax swellings, or edemas, already described as occurring in cat- 
tle, may also be found in man, and they are at times so extensive as to 
produce distortion in the appearance of the part of the body on which 
they are located. The color of the skin over these swellings varies 
according to the situation and thickness of the skin and the stage of 
the disease, and may be white, red, bluish, or blackish. 

As these carbuncles and swellings ma^' lead, sooner or later, to an 
infection of the entire bod}', and thus be fatal, surgical assistance 
should at once be called if there is well-grounded suspicion that any 
swellings resembling those described above have been due to inocula- 
tion with anthrax virus. Inasmuch as physicians differ as to treat- 
ment of such accidents in man, it would be out of place to make any 
suggestions in this connection. 

To show that the transmission of anthrax to man is not so very 
uncommon, we take the following figures from the report of the German 
Government for 1890: One hundred and eleven cases were brought to 
the notice of the authorities, of which 11 terminated fatally. The 
largest numl)er of inoculations were due to the slaughtering, opening, 
and skinning of animals affected with anthrax. Hence the butchers 
suffered most extensively. Of the 111 thus affected, 36 belonged to 
this craft. 

In addition lo anthrax of the skin (known as malignant pustule), 



444 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

human beings are subject, though very rarely, to the disease of the 
lungs and the digestive organs. In the former case the spores are 
inhaled by workmen in establishments in which wool, hides, and rags 
are worked over, and it is therefore known as wool-sorter's disease. 
In the latter case the disease is contracted by eating the flesh of dis- 
eased animals which has not been thoroughly cooked. These forms 
of the disease are more fatal than those in which the disease starts 
from the skin. 

BLACKLEG." 

Blackleg, blackquaiter, quarter-ill, symptomatic anthrax, charhon 
sympiomatique of the French, Rausclihrand of the Germans, is a 
rapidly fatal infectious disease of j'oung cattle, associated with external 
swellings which emit a crackling sound when handled. This disease 
was formerly regarded identical with anthrax, but investigations car- 
ried out by various scientists in recent times have definitely proved 
the entire dissimilarity of the two affections, both from a clinical and 
causal standpoint. The disease is produced bj^ a specific bacillus, 
readily distinguishable from that causing anthrax. (PI. XXIX, fig. 4.) 
Cattle between G months and 2 years of age are the most susceptible. 
Sucking calves under G months are rarely attacked, nor are thej^ as 
susceptible to inoculation as older animals. Cattle over 2 years of 
age may become affected, but such cases are infrequent. Sheep and 
goats may also contract the disease, but man, horses, hogs, dogs, 
cats, and fowls appear to be immune. 

Like anthrax, blackleg is more or less restricted to definite localities. 
There are certain pastures upon which the disease regularly appears 
in the summer and fall of the j^ear. As to any peculiarities of the 
soil nothing is definitely known. Some authors are inclined to regard 
moist, undrained, and swampy pastures favorable to this disease, but 
these theories will hardly hold, as it is found in all kinds of soils, in 
all altitudes, at all seasons of the j^ear, and under various climatic 
conditions. It occurs in this country from the Atlantic to the Pacific 
and from Mexico to Canada, but it is more prevalent in the Western 
and Southwestern States. In Europe it exists in France, various 
parts of Germany, in Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Italj', and on the 
Aljis of Switzerland. In Africa it occurs in Algeria and to some 
extent in Natal and bordering countries. In South America it pre- 
vails quite extensively throughout Argentina. Cattle in Cuba and 
Australia also suffer. 

The cause of the disease is a bacillus resembling in some minor 
respects the anthrax bacillus and differing but little from it in size. 
It also possesses the power of forming within itself a spore. In 

« For detailed information regarding blackleg and the free distribution of black- 
leg vaccine, write to this Department for Bureau of Animal Industry circrlars 
Nos. 23 and 31. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 445 

Plate XXIX, fig. 4, this is represented as an nncolored spot located in 
one end of the rod, which is enlarged so that the rod itself appears 
more or less club-shaped. What has already been stated concern iug 
the significance of the spore of the anthrax bacillus applies equall}'^ 
well to these bodies. Thej^ resist destructive agents for a consider- 
able length of time, and may still produce disease when inoculated 
after several years of drying. This fact may account for the occa- 
sional appearance of blackleg in stables. In order to meet the 
requirements for the development of the spores, which only takes 
place in the absence of the atmosphere, it is necessary that the wound 
be very small and deep enough to penetrate the subcutaneous tissue. 

Several observers have found this organism in the mud of swamps. 
By i^lacing a little of this mud under the skin the disease has been 
called forth. 

Since the disease may be produced by placing under the skin mate- 
rial containing the specific bacilli and spores, it has been assumed 
that cattle contract the disease through wounds, principally of the 
skin, or very rarely of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Slight wounds 
into which the virus may find access may be caused by barbed wire, 
stubbles, thorns, briers, grass burs, and sharp or pointed parts of food. 

The s^nnptoms of blackleg may be either of a general or a local 
nature, though more frequently of the latter. The general symj)toms 
are very much like those belonging to other acute infectious or bac- 
terial diseases. The}^ begin from one to three days after the infec- 
tion has taken place with loss of appetite and of rumination, with 
dullness and debility, and a high fever. The temperature may rise to 
107° F. To these may be added lameness or stiffness of one or more 
limbs, due to the tumor or swelling quite invariabl}" accompanying 
the disease. After a period of disease lasting from one to three daj^s 
the affected animal almost always succumbs. Death is preceded by 
increasing weakness, difficult breathing, and occasional attacks of 
violent convulsions. 

The most important characteristic of this disease is the appearance 
of a tumor or swelling under the skin of the affected animal a few 
hours after the setting in of the constitutional symptoms described 
above. In some cases it may appear first. This tumor may be 
located on the thighs (hence "blackleg," "blackquarter"), the neck, 
the shoulder, the breast, the flanks, or the rump; never below the 
carpal (or knee) and the hock joint. It more rarelj^ appears in the 
throat and at the base of the tongue. The tumor, at first small and 
painful, spreads ver}^ rapidly both in dejjth and extent. When it is 
stroked or handled a peculiar crackling sound is heard under the 
skin. This is due to a collection of gas formed b}^ the bacilli as they 
multiply. At this stage the skin becomes dry, parchment-like, and 
cool to tlie touch in the center of the tumor. If the swelling is cut 
into, a frothy, dark-red, rather disagreeably smelling fluid is dis- 



446 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

charged. The animal manifests little or no pain during the 
operation. 

As it is frequently desirable to knowwhether the disease is anthrax 
or blackleg, a few of the most obvious postmortem changes may 
here be cited. The characteristic tumor with its crackling sound 
when stroked has already been described. If after the death of the 
animal it be more thoroughly examined, it will be noted that the tissue 
under the skin is infiltrated with blood and yellowish, jellj'-liko mate- 
rial and gas bubbles. The muscular tissue beneath the swelling may 
be brownish or black, shading into dark red. (PI. XLIV.) It is soft 
and easilj' torn and broken up. The muscle tissue is distended with 
numerous smaller or larger gas-filled cavities, often to such an extent 
as to produce a resemblance to lung tissue. Upon incision it does 
not collapse perceptibly, as the gas cavities are not connected with 
each other. 

In the abdomen and the thorax blood-stained fluid is not infre- 
quently found, together with blood-staining of the lining membrane of 
these cavities. Blood spots (or ecchjnnoses) are also found on the heart 
and lungs. The liver is congested, but the spleen is always normal. 

Dijferentia.1 diagnosis. — Among the features of this disease which 
distinguish it from anthrax may be mentioned the unchanged spleen 
and the ready clotting of the blood. It will be remembered that in 
anthrax the spleen (milt) is verj' much enlarged, the blood tarrj-, 
coagulating feebly. The anthrax carl)uncles and swellings differ from 
the blackleg swellings in not containing gas, in being hard and solid, 
and in causing death less rapidly. 

It is difficult to distinguisli between the swellings of blackleg and 
malignant edema, since thej' resemble each other verj- closely and 
both are distended with gas. Malignant edema, however, generally 
starts from a wound of considerable size; it usually follows surgical 
operations, and does not result from the small abrasions and pricks 
to which animals are subjected in pastures. Inoculation experiments 
of guinea pigs, rabbits, and chickens will also disclose the differences 
between the above three diseases, since all of these species are killed 
by the germ of malignant edema, only the first two species by the 
antlirax bacillus, while the guinea pigs alone will succumb to the 
blackleg infection. Hemorrhagic septicemia may be differentiated 
from blackleg by its affecting cattle of all ages, b}' the location of the 
swellingusuallj'abouttheregionof the throat, neck, and dewlap, by the 
soft, doughy character of these swellings without the presence of gas 
bubbles, and finally by the characteristic hemorrhages widelj^ dis- 
tributed tliroughout the body. Other means of diagnosis, which have 
reference to the specific bacilli, to the inoculable character of the 
virus ui)on small animals, and which are of decisive and final impor- 
tance, can be utilized only by the trained bacteriologist and veteri- 
narian. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 447 

Trcaimenf. — In this disease remedies liave thus far proved una- 
vailing. Some writers recommend the use of certain drugs, which 
soem to have been beneficial in a few cases, but a thorough trial has 
shown them to be valueless. Others advise that the swelling be 
opened by deep and long incisions and a strong disinfectant, such as 
a 5 per cent solution of carbolic acid, applied to the exposed parts, but 
this procedure can not be too strongly condemned. Since nearly all 
those attacked die in sjjite of every kind of treatment, and in view of 
the fact that the germs of the disease are scattered over the stables or 
pastures when these tumors are oi)ened, thus becoming a source of 
danger to other cattle, it is obvious that such measures do more harm 
than good and should be put aside as dangerous. Bleeding, nerving, 
roweling, or setoning have likewise some adherents, but the evidence 
indicates that they have neither curative nor preventive A'alue and 
therefore should be discarded for the method of vaccination which 
has been thoroughly tried out and proved to be efficacious in prevent- 
ing the disease. 

Prevention. — The various means suggested under "Anthrax" to pre- 
vent the spread or recurrence of this disease are equally applicable to 
blackleg, and hence do not need to be repeated here in full. They 
consist of tlie removal of the animals from the infected pasture to a 
noninfected field, the draining of the sv/ampy ground, the burial or 
burning of the carcasses to prevent the dissemination of the germs 
over vast areas through the agency of dogs, wolves, buzzards, and 
crows, the disinfection of the stables and the ground where the ani- 
mals lay at the time of death, and, if possible, the destruction of the 
germs on the infected pastures. One of the most effective methods 
for freeing an infected pasture from blackleg is to allow the grass to 
grow up high, and, wiien sufficiently dry, to burn it off. One burn- 
ing off, however, is not sufficient to redeem an infected pasture, but 
the process should be repeated several years in succession. This 
method, however, is in many instances impracticable, as few cattle 
owners can afford to practice it, and the only means left for the pro- 
tection of the animals is vaccination. 

Immunizcdion hy vaccinatiov. — Three French veterinarians, Arlo- 
ing, Cornevin, and Thomas, were the first to discover that cattle may 
be protected against blackleg by inoculation with virulent material 
obtained from animals which have died of this disease. Later they 
devised a method of inoculation with the attenuated or weakened 
blackleg spores which produced immunity from natural or artificial 
inoculation of virulent blackleg germs. Their method has undergone 
various modifications both in regard to the manufacture of the vac- 
cine and in the mode of its application. Kitt, a German scientist, 
modified the method so that but one inoculation of the vaccine was 
required instead of two, as was the ease with that made bj" the French 
investigators. The vaccine prepared and distributed by the Bureau 



448 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of Animal Industi-y combines the princii)le of Arloing, Cornevin, and 
Tliomas and the modification of Kitt. 

By vaccination we understand the injection into tlie system of a 
minnte amount of attenuated — that is, artificially weakened — blackleg 
virus. This virus is obtained from animals which have died from 
blackleg, by securing the affected muscles, cutting them into strips, 
and drying them in the air. When they are perfectly dry they are 
I)ulverized and mixed with water to form a paste, smeared in a thin 
layer on flat dishes, placed in an oven, and heated for six hours at a 
temperature close to that of boiling water. The paste is then trans- 
formed into a hard crust, which is pulverized and sifted and distrib- 
uted in packages containing either 10 or 25 doses. This constitutes 
the A^accine, the strength of which is thoroughly tested on experiment 
animals before it is distributed among the cattle owners. This vac- 
cine, which is in the form of a brownish dry powder, is mixed with 
definite quantities of sterile water, filtered, and the filti'ate injected by 
means of a hypodermic syringe under the skin in front of the shoul- 
der of the animal to be vaccinated. The inoculation is usually fol- 
lowed by insignificant symptoms. In a few cases there is a slight 
rise of temperature, and b}^ close observation a minute swelling may 
be noted at the point of inoculation. The immunity conferred in 
this way may last for eighteen months, but animals vaccinated before 
tliey are 6 months old and those in badly infected districts should be 
revaccinated before the following blackleg season. 

The effect of the vaccine prepared by this Bureau in j)reventing 
outbreaks of the disease and in immediately abating outbreaks already 
in progress has been highly satisfactory, and it is not to be doubted 
that thousands of j^oung cattle have been saved to the stock owners 
during the six and a half years in which the vaccine has been dis- 
tributed. More than 7,700,000 doses have been sent out during this 
I)eriod, and from reports received it is safe to conclude that more than 
one-half of this quantity has actually been injected, whereby the per- 
centage of loss from blackleg has been reduced from 10, 15, or 20 per 
cent, which annually occurred before using, to less than 1 per cent per 
annum. With these figures before us it is plain that the general 
introduction of preventive vaccination must be of material benefit to 
the cattle raisers in the infected districts. Moreover, there is every 
reason to believe that with the continued use of blackleg vaccine in 
all districts where the disease is known to occur. and an earnest effort 
on the part of the stock owners to prevent the reinfection of their 
pastures by following the directions given, blackleg may be kept in 
check and gradually eradicated. 

NECROTIC STOMATITIS (CALF DIPHTHERIA). 

Necrotic stomatitis is an acute, specific, highly contagious inflam- 
mation of the mouth, occurring in young cattle and characterized, 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xliv 



a 




Haines del. 



JS SIEN « CO.l 



Section of Muscle from a Blackleg swelling. 
a, Gas Bubbles. 
b Cavities due to Gas formation. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xlv 






^ V.': 



y 






r 








Haines del 



JULIUS BIEN t CO.I 



Necrotic Stomatitis (Calf Diphtheria) 
WITH LESIONS involvingTongueand Cheek 



^ 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 449 

locally, bj^ the formation of ulcers and caseo-ueerotic patches and by 
constitutional sjmptoms,' chiefly toxic. 

This disease has also been termed calf diphtheria, gangrenous 
stomatitis, ulcerative stomatitis, malignant stomatitis, tubercular 
stomatitis, and diphtheric patches of tlie oral mucous membrane. 

Histonj. — During the last few years farmers and cattlemen in this 
country, especially in Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota, liave 
increasingly noted the occurrence of enzootics of "soremoutli" among 
the young animals of their herds. Instead of healing, like the usual 
forms, of themselves, these cases, if untreated, die. Careful study of 
some of them has resulted in their identification with cases reported 
in 1877 byDammann, from the shore of the Baltic; in 1878 by Blaze- 
kowic, in Slavonia; in 1879 by Vollers, in Ilolstein; in 1880 by Leng- 
len, in France; in 1881 by Macgillivraj^ in England, and in 1884 by 
Lofifler, who isolated and described the microorganism wliicli produces 
the disease. Bang obtained this organism from the diphtheritic lesions 
of calves in 1890, and Kitt likewise recovered the bacillus from similar 
lesions of the larynx and pharynx of calves and pigs in 1893. 

Etiology. — The cause of necrotic stomatitis, as demonstrated by 
Loffler and since confirmed by other investigators, is Bacillus necro- 
plwrus, often spoken of as the bacillus of necrosis. This organism 
varies in form from a coccoid rod to long, wavy filaments, Avhich may 
reach a length of 100 /<; the width varies from 0.75 ;< to 1 /^. Hence 
it is described as polymorphic. It does not stain by Gram, but takes 
the ordinary aniline dyes, often presenting, especially the longer forms, 
a beaded appearance. A characteristic of the organism, of great 
moment when we come to treatment, is that it grows only in the 
absence of oxygen, from which fact it is described as an obligate 
anaerobe. 

Very few organisms exhibit a wider range of pathogenesis. Accord- 
ing to clinical observation up to the present time, Bacillus necropJiorus 
is pathogenic for cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, reindeer, kangaroos, ante- 
lope, and rabbits. Experimentally it has been proved pathogenic for 
rabbits and white mice. The dog, cat, guinea pig, pigeon, and chicken 
appear to be absolutely immune. It is not pathogenic for man. 

The importance of this bacillus is far beyond even its relation to 
necrotic stomatitis. Besides this disease it has been demonstrated as 
the causative factor in foot rot, multiple liver abscesses, disseminated 
liver necrosis, embolic necrosis of the lungs, necrosis of the heart, in 
cattle; gangrenous pox of the teats, diphtheria of the uterus and 
vagina, in coavs; diphtheritic inflammation of the small intestine of 
calves. Among horses it is the agent in the production of necrotic 
malanders, quittor, and diphtheritic inflammation of the large intes- 
tine. In hogs it has caused necrotic or diphtheritic i^rocesses in the 
mucous membrane of the mouth, necrosis of the anterior wall of the 

8267—01 29 



450 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

nasal septum, and ijulmonary and intestinal necrosis, accompanying 
hog cholera. Abscesses of the liver, gangrenous processes of the lips 
and nose, and gangrenous affections of the hoof have all been caused 
in sheep by this organism. 

Patliologij. — The principal lesions in necrotic stomatitis occur in the 
mucous membrane of the mouth and pharynx. The alterations may 
extend to the nasal cavities, the larj-nx, the trachea, the lung, the 
esophagus, the intestines, and to the hoof. The oral surfaces affected 
are, in tlie order of frequency, tongue, cheeks, hard palate, gums, 
lips, and pharynx. In the majority of cases the i)rimar3' infection 
seems to occur in the tongue. (PI. XLV.) 

Infection takes place by inoculation. Some abrasion or break in 
the continuity of the mucous membrane of the mouth occurs. Very 
likelj'' the origin may be connected with the eruption of the first teeth 
after birth, or, in animals somewhat older, the entrance of a sharp- 
pointed particle of food. Gaining an entrance at this point, the bacilli 
begin to multiply. During their development they elaborate a toxin, 
or poisonous substance, which causes the death, or necrosis, of the epi- 
thelial, or superficial, laj^er of the mucous membrane and also of the 
white blood cells which have sallied forth through the vessel walls to 
the defense of the tissues against the bacillary attack. This destruc- 
tion of the surface ej)ithelium seems to be the essential factor in the 
production of the caseous patch, often called the false membrane. 
From the connective tissue framework below is poured forth an inflam- 
matory exudate highly albuminous or rich in fibrin-forming elements. 
When this exudate and the necrosed cellular elements come in con- 
tact, the latter furnish a fibrin ferment which transforms the exudate 
into a fibrinous mass. This process is known as coagulation necrosis, 
and the resulting fibroid mass, containing in its meshes the necrosed 
and degenerated epithelium and leucocytes, constitutes the diphtheric 
or false membrane. Did the process cease at this point it would be 
properly called a diphtheric inflammation. But it does not. A case- 
ating ferment is supplied by the bacilli, and this, acting upon the 
fibroid patch, transforms it into a dry, finely granular, yellowish mass 
of tissue detritus resembling cheese. 

Frequently this caseous inflammation results in the formation of 
one or more ulcers with thickened, slightly reddened borders, sur- 
mounted by several layers of this necrosed tissue. The floor of the 
ulcer is formed by a grayish yellow, corroded surface, under which 
the tissue is transformed into a dry friable or firm cheesy mass. 
In the tongue this vtuxy progress to two fingers' thickness into the 
muscular portion; in the cheek it may form an external opening, 
l)ermitting fluids to escape from the mouth; \\\}o\\ the j)alate it fre- 
quently reaches and includes the bone in its destructive course ; upon 
the gums it has produced necrosis of the tooth sockets, causing loss 
of the teeth. In the advanced forms, caseous foci may be seen in the 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 451 

lung and in the liver and necrotic i^atchcs observed on the mucous 
membrane of the gastro-intestinal tract. 

Symptoms. — Necrotic stomatitis is botli a local and a systemic 
affection. Primarily it is local. The local lesion is the caseo-necrotic 
patch or ulcer developed as a result of the multii)lication of the 
bacilli at the point of inoculation. The general affection is an intoxi- 
cation, or poisoning, of the whole system produced by a soluble toxin 
elaborated b^^ the bacilli. 

The stage of incubation is from three to five days. The first symp- 
toms noted are a disinclination to take nourishment, some drooling 
from the mouth, and an examination of the mouth will show on some 
portion of its mucous n)embrane a circumscribed area of infiltration 
and redness, possibly an erosion. The latter graduallj' extends in 
size and depth, forming a sharply circumscribed area of necrotic 
inflammation. It may measure anywhere from the size of a five-cent 
piece to that of a dollar or even larger. It has the appearance of a 
corroded surface, under which the mucous membrane or muscular 
tissue seems transformed into a dry friable or firm cheesy mass. It 
is grayish yellow in color and is bordered by a zone of thickened tissue 
slightly reddened and somewhat granulated. The necrotic tissue is 
ver}^ adherent and can be only partially peeled off. It is homogene- 
ous, cheesj', and may extend two fingers' depth into the tissues beneath. 
The general symptoms are languor, weakness, and slight fever. In 
spite of plenty of good food the calf is seen to be failing. It stops 
sucking, or, if older, altogether refuses to eat. The temperature at 
this time may be from 104° to 107° F. The slabber becomes pro- 
fuse, swallowing very difficult, opening of the mouth quite painful, 
and a most offensive odor is exhaled. The tongue is swollen and its 
motion greatly' impaired. Sometimes the mouth is kept open, permit- 
tin the tumefied tongue to protrude. One or more of the above 
sj^mptoms direct the attention to the mouth as the seat of disease; 
or, having noticed the debility and disinclination to eat, an examina- 
tion of the animal may show a lump under the neck or swelling of 
the throat or head. The following extract from a letter is character- 
istic : 

I noticed my calves beginning to fail about tlie first week in December, but 
could not account for it, as they were getting plenty of grain and liay. My atten- 
tion was first attracted by a swelling under the neck of one of the calves. I cast 
the animal and found it was food that had collected and the animal couldn't 
swallow it. I removed it, and in so doing noticed a large ulcer on the tongue and 
a very offensive odor. This was the first knowledge I had of anything being 
wrong with the calves' mouths. They may have been sick for some time before 
this. 

Out of a herd of 100 belonging to this man, 70 were affected, and the 
letter emphasizes the insidious character of the onset. 

The general affection at this time manifests itself b}^ dejectedness, 



452 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

extreme weakness and emaciation, constant lying down, with stiffness 
and marked difficulty in standing. 

The disease frequently extends to the nasal cavities, producing a 
thin, yellowish or greenish yellow, sticky discharge which adheres 
closely to the borders of the nostrils. Their edges also show caseous 
patches similar to those in the mouth. Sometimes the nasal passage 
is obstructed by great masses of the necrosed exudate, thus causing 
extreme difficulty in breathing. When the caseous process involves 
the larynx and trachea there result cough, wheezing, and dj^spnea, 
together with a j^ellowish mucopurulent expectoration. 

When life is prolonged three or four weeks, caseous foci may be 
established in the lung, giving rise to all the signs of a broncho-pneu- 
monia. Many of these cases are associated with a fibrinous pleurisy. 
The invasion of the gastrointestinal tract is announced by diarrheal 
symptoms. This disease principallj^ attacks sucklings not over 6 
weeks of age, but calves 8 and 10 months old are frequently affected, 
and several cases in adult cattle have been reported to this office. 

In its very acute form many of the cases run their course in from 
five to eight da5's. In these the local lesions are not strongly marked, 
and death seems due to an acute intoxication. In other enzootics 
the majority of the affected animals live from three to five weeks. 
These are the cases that occasionally present the pulmonary and intes- 
tinal symptoiiis, and sometimes develop also caseonecrotic lesions in 
the liver. 

Ordinarily cases show no tendency to spontaneous cure. Left to 
themselves they die. On the contrary, if taken in hand early the dis- 
ease is readily amenable to treatment. In the latter event the pros- 
pects of recover}'- are excellent. 

Differential diagnosis. — Necrotic stomatitis may be differentiated 
from foot-and-mouth disease by the fact that in the latter disease 
there is a rapid infection of the entire herd, including the adult cattle, 
as well as the infection of hogs and sheep. The characteristic lesion 
of foot-and-mouth disease is the appearance of vesicles containing a 
serous fluid upon the mucous membrane of the mouth and upon the 
udder, teats, and feet of the affected animals. In necrotic stomatitis 
vesicles are never formed, necrosis occurring from the beginning and 
followed by the formation of yellowish cheesy patches i^rincipally 
found in the mouth. Mycotic stomatitis occurs in only a few animals 
of the herd, chiefly the adult cattle, and the lesions produced consist 
of an inflammation of the mouth and lips and of the thin skin between 
the toes, followed in a few days by small irregular ulcers in the mouth. 
This disease appears sporadically, usually in the early fall after a dry 
summer, does not run a regular course, and can not be inoculated. 

Prevention. — Prophylaxis should be carried out along three lines: 

(1) Separation of the sick from the healthy animals. 

(2) Close scrutiny and thorough disinfection once or twice daily for 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 453 

five days of the mouths and nasal passages of those animals that have 
been exposed. 

(3) Complete disinfection of all stalls and sheds. 

The disease appears to break out in winter and hold over to spring. 
It is conceivable that exposure to cold miglit so disturb the normal 
circulation of the oral tissues as to make the mucous membrane an 
excellent location for the causative factor of the disease. There is 
another possibility, however, which bears on the third line of prophy- 
laxis. The so-called diphtheric inflammations of the vagina and 
uterus in cows are caused by the same organism that induces necrotic 
stomatitis. A recent European writer has pointed out the almost 
constant relation of such attacks to previous occurrences of foul foot 
or foot rot in the same or other cattle on the place. 

In all likelihood the stalls and sheds are the harborers, in such cases, 
of this germ. It is possible that many of these outbreaks of necrotic 
stomatitis have some relation to preceding cases of the above-men- 
tioned diseases and the greater use in winter of the stalls and sheds, 
thus harboring the Bacillus necropliorus. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists almost solely in careful and 
extensive cleansing and disinfection of the mouth and other affected 
surfaces. The mucous membrane of the mouth should be copiously 
irrigated with a 2 per cent solution of creolin in warm water. This 
should be performed at least twice daily. Since exposure to oxygen 
kills the bacilli, one need have no fear about disturbing or tearing off 
the caseous patches or necrotic tissue during irrigation. The irriga- 
tion of the sores should then be followed by the application with a 
brush or rag on a stick of a paste made with 1 part of salicylic acid 
and parts of water, or the affected areas may be painted with 
Lugol's solution of iodine (iodine, 1; potassium iodide, 5; water, 200). 
Frequent injections into the mouth of 1 per cent carbolic-acid solu- 
tion make an excellent treatment. The internal administration of 2 
grams of salicylic acid and 3 grams of chlorate of potash three times 
a day has also j)roved very beneficial when accompanied by local 
antiseptic treatment. 

MALIGNANT CATARRH. 

Malignant catarrh, or infectious catarrhal fever, is an acute infectious 
disease of cattle preeminentlj^ involving the respirator}^ and digestive 
tracts, although the sinuses of the head, the eyes, and the urinary 
and sexual organs are very frequently affected. It is relatively rare 
in this country, being more common on the continent of Europe. 
Outbreaks have occurred, however, in Minnesota, New York, and 
New Jersey. The causal agent of the disease has as j'et never been 
isolated, and inoculation experiments with the view of artificially 
reproducing the disease have proven negative in ever}' case. In spite 
of the foregoing statements the consensus of opinion of eminent 



454 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

investigators points to malij^^miut catarrh as being of specific origin; 
that is, due to some form of microorganism the contagious cliaracter 
of which is poorly developed. This accounts for the slow transmissi- 
bility of the disease from one animal to another. In fact, malignant 
catarrh is a type of that class of affections which are scientifically 
known as miasmatic diseases; that is, they remain stationary in 
stables with damp floors, low ceilings, poor ventilation, and bad sani- 
tary conditions in general. Such places furnish a favorable seat of 
propagation for the infective material, and it will remain active for a 
long period of time, causing the loss of a few animals each year. 
One European veterinarian reports an instance where this disease 
remained for twenty-five years on the same farm, attacking in all 225 
animals, with a mortality of about 98 per cent. 

The disease is most common in late winter and early spring, at all 
altitudes, and has a special preference for young, well-nourished 
cattle, although older animals are not immune. The time elapsing 
between the entrance of the infective principle into the body of the 
animal and the appearance of the first symptoms is relatively very 
long and, according to German investigators, averages from twenty to 
thirty days. Fortunately, it is not a disease which sjireads to any 
great extent, or which causes severe losses, and hence legislative 
enactments do not seem to be necessary for its restriction. 

Symi^toms. — These are extremely variable according to the point of 
localization of the lesions. It is usually ushered in with a chill, fol- 
lowed by a marked rise of temperature (104° to 107° F.). The head 
droops, the skin is hot and dry, and the coat staring. Quivering of 
the muscles in various parts of the body is frequently observed. 
Marked dullness of the animal passing, according to some observers, 
into an almost stupefied condition later on, is quite common. The 
secretion of milk stops in the beginning of the disease, and loss of 
flesh, invariably associated with the disease, is extremely marked and 
rapid. The lesions of the ej'es may best be likened to moon blindness 
(periodic ophthalmia) in horses. 

There is first an abundant secretion of tears, which run down over 
the face. The lids are swollen and inflamed, and indeed this may be so 
marked as to cause involuntary eversion, exjiosing the reddened con- 
junctiva to view. Sunlight is painful, as is shown by the fact tliat 
the animal keeps the ej^es continuously closed. This inflammation 
may extend to the cornea, causing it to assume a slight clouded 
appearance in mild cases or a chalky Avhiteness in more severe affec- 
tions. Cases of ulceration of the cornea followed by perfora,tion and 
subsequent escape of the aqueous humor, leading to shrinking of the 
eyeball and permanent loss of sight, have been recorded; but these 
are relatively rare, although slight inflammation of the deeper struc- 
tures of the eye (iris) are more frequent. Tliis inflammation may 
undergo comj^lete resolution in mild cases, but more frequently per- 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 455 

manent eloiidinoss of the cornea either diffuse or in spots (leucoraa) 
is the result. The mucous membrane of the moutli, nose, sinuses of 
the head, throat, and lower respiratory passg-j^es are also involved. It 
is first catarrhal in character, but soon a false or diphtheritic mem- 
brane is formed, with the production of shallow ulcers. There is 
dribbling of saliva from the mouth and discharge from the nose, which 
is at first watery, becoming thicker and mixed with blood and small 
masses of cast-off croupous membrane, causing a very fetid odor. 
These croupous areas when they form in the throat, larynx, or wind- 
pil)o may lead to narrowing of these passages, with consequent diffi- 
cult breathing and even suffocation. Various respiratory murmurs 
may also be heard, caused b}'^ the to-aud-fro movement of mucus and 
inflammatory deposits along the air passages. There is also inflam- 
mation of the horn core with consequent loosening of the horn shell, 
and the horns are thus readily knocked off by the uneas}', blind suf- 
ferer. The animal may refuse all food from the time of the initial rise 
of temperature, or in less severe cases, and especially when the lesions 
of the digestive tract are not so marked, the appetite may remain 
until the disease is well advanced, Constij)ation is quite common at 
the commencement of the attack, followed by diarrhea and severe 
straining, the .evacuations becoming very soft, fetid, and streaked 
with blood. Cases have been reported of the evacuation of desqua- 
mated patches of diijhtheritic membrane from the intestinal mucosa 
6 to 9 feet in length. The kidneys and bladder are usually inflamed, 
the urine being voided with difficulty and the animal evincing signs 
of pain. Inflammatory elements, as albumen, casts, etc., may be seen 
on examination of the urine. In cows the mucous membrane of the 
vestibule is congested, swollen, and may contain ulcers and an exces- 
sive quantity of mucus. Abortion is not infrequent, following a 
severe attack during advanced pregnanc3^ In connection with these 
various symptoms there may be much uneasiness on the part of the 
animal, leading in some cases to madness and furious delirium, in 
others to spasms and convulsions or paralysis. A vesicular erujjtion 
of the skin may occur, seen principally between the toes and on the 
inside of the flank and in the armpits, with subsequent loss of hair 
and epidermis. 

Like other infectious diseases, malignant catarrh pursues a longer 
or shorter course in accordance with the severity of the attack. In 
acute cases death is said to take place three to seven days after the 
appearance of symptoms. Recovery, if it occurs, may take three or 
four weeks. According to statistics, from 50 to 00 per cent of the 
affected animals die. 

If animals which have died of this disease be examined, there will 
be occasionally found, in addition to the changes of the mucous mem- 
brane of mouth and nasal cavities referred to above, shallow ulcers in 
these situations. These necrotic processes may pass beneath the 



456 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

mucous membrane and even involve the underlying bony structure. 
In severe cases membi'anous (erouijous) deposits ai-e found in the 
throat. Similar deposits have been found upon the mucous mem- 
brane of the fourth stomach and intestine, which is alwaj's inflamed. 
There is more or less inflammation of the membranes of the brain, 
kidneys, liver, and some fatty degeneration of the voluntary muscles. 
In countries where rinderpest occasionally appears it vaay be difficult 
to distinguish between it and malignant catarrh, owing to a general 
similarity of the symptoms. The principal points to be observed in 
dilferentiating between the two diseases are the very slight transmis- 
sibility of the latter as compared with the intense contagiousness of 
the former, and the tendency^ of malignant catarrh to run a more 
chronic course than rinderpest, which usually results fatally in a very 
few days. Onlj^ a trained veterinarian who takes into consideration 
all the different sjnnptoms and lesions of both diseases should decide 
in such cases. 

Treatment. — There is no specific treatment for this affection. How- 
ever, copious blood letting in the earliest stages has been highly rec- 
ommended, as this has a tendency to deplete the system and lessen 
the exudation of inflammatory products. Antiseptic washes, as cre- 
olin, 2 to 4 per cent solution, or lysol, 5 per cent solution, applied to 
the nose, eyes, and mouth with ice poultices over the crest of the 
head and frontal region have also proved efficacious. Calomel should 
also be given in 1-dram doses twice a day for three daj^s, and in 
severe cases, involving the respiratory tract, a powder containing 
ferrous suljihate, quinine, and subnitrate of bismuth, given twice a 
day, will be found beneficial. At the same time it must be remem- 
bered that much greater success is to be looked for in the preventive 
treatment. This consists in the removal of the healthy from the 
infected animals (not vice versa) and thorough cleaning and disin- 
fecting of the contaminated stables. If the floors are low and damp, 
they should be raised and made dry. If this can not be done, place 
a layer of cement under the stable floor to prevent water from enter- 
ing from below. The stable should be well ventilated and the soil in 
the pastures thoroughlj^ drained. If this is caref ull}' carried out, the 
contagion should be destroyed and the danger of the reappearance of 
tlie disease in a great measure lessened. 

MALIGNANT EDEMA. 

Malignant edema, also termed gangrenous septicemia, is an acute 
inflammatorj^ disease of domestic and wild animals, resulting from 
the introduction of a specific organism into the deei) connective tissues 
of a susceptible animal and proving fatal in many instances within 
twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The disease may be inoculated from 
one animal to another, but only by inserting the virus deeply below the 
skin. It is infrequently met with in cattle, but may follow operating 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 457 

wounds, as roweliug, castration, and plilebotomy, Avliich liave heconie 
infected with septic matter, soil, or unclean instruments. The orj^an- 
ism has also been obtained in this laboratory from the infected muscles 
of a calf that was supposed to liave died of blacklesi:, and, as a result, 
all bhickleg virus is thoroughly tested before it is made into blackleg 
vaccine in order to exclude the malignant edema organism. The essen- 
tial cause of malignant edema is a long, slender, motile, spore-bearing 
bacillus, resembling the bacillus of blackleg, and which can only 
develoj) in the absence of the atmosphere. Unlike the bacilli of 
anthrax and blackleg, which are confined to certain districts, this 
organism is widely distributed and found in ordinary garden soil, foul 
water, and in the normal intestinal tract of the herbivora. It may be 
brought to the surface of the soil by growing plants, rains, winds, or 
burrowing insects and rodents. In animals that have succumbed to 
the disease the germ is confined to the seat of infection, but a few 
hours after death it may migrate to other parts of the body through 
the blood channels. The bacillus may attack man, horses, asses, 
goats, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, and poultry. Adult cattle, although 
refractory to experimental inoculation, suffer from natural infection^ 
while calves are susceptible to both of these methods of exposure. 
(Kitt). The introduction of the bacillus into abrasions of the skin 
and superficial sores rarelj- does any harm, because the germ is quickly 
destroyed by contact with air. If, however, the organisms are inserted 
deeply into the subcutaneous tissues of susceptible animals, they 
quickly develop, producing a soluble poison, which is the fatal agent. 

In lamb-shearing season, or after docking or castration, the mor- 
tality is higher among these animals because of wounds inflicted at 
such times. The application of antiseptics to wounds thus made will 
reduce the percentage of deaths to a minimum. 

Symptoms. — Usually the first symptoms are overlooked. In the 
early stages the animal appears listless, disinclined to move about, 
and seeks the shady and quiet places to lie down. If forced to move 
about, the hind legs are drawn forward with a peculiar stiff dragging 
movement and there may be slight muscular trembling all over the 
body, which becomes more intense as the disease progresses. When 
driven, the animal shows signs of fatigue, ultimately dropping to the 
ground completely exhausted. Breathing becomes fast and painful, 
with frequent spasmodic jerks. 

The pulse is quick and weak and the temperature is 106° to 107° F. 
An edematous, doughy, and painful swelling appears at the point of 
infection. This tumefaction spreads more and more and will crackle 
on pressure. In case of an open wound a fetid, liquid, and frothy 
discharge is observed. The center of the swelling may appear soft 
and jelly-like, while the margin is tense, hot, and painful. The symp- 
toms increase rapidity, resulting in coma and death. 

Lesions. — After death the fat and subcutaneous tissues surrounding 



458 DISFASES OF CATTLE. 

the infected area are infiltrated with a yellow gelatinous material con- 
taiuiMg an orange-colored foam, due to the i)i"esence of gas bubbles. 
The muscles at this point are friable, spongy, and of a uniform brown- 
ish tint, disassociated by gas and a blood-tinged exudate. This gan- 
grenous tissue, wiien i^resent before death, can be removed without 
pain to the animal. The intestines are generally normal, but they, 
together with the peritoneum, may be inflamed, and the lungs are 
usually the seat of an edema. The spleen, liver, and kidne5\s retain 
theii' normal ai^iiearance, in marked contrast with anthrax. 

Differential diagnosis. — Unlike blackleg this disease never appears 
as an epizootic but in isolated cases. It may also be differentiated 
from the former by the history of a recent parturition or surgical 
operation, by the presence of an external injurj^ at the site of the swell- 
ing accompanied hy a fetid liquid discharge, and the gangrenous 
appearance of the tumefaction. Man is susceptible to malignant 
edema, but not to blackleg. Malignant edema maj^ also be easilj'' dif- 
ferentiated from anthrax in that the blood and spleen are normal in 
appearance, while in the latter disease the blood is dark and of a tar- 
like consistency and the spleen appears swollen, injected, and softened. 
The local tumor in malignant edema contains gas bubbles, while in 
anthrax swellings these are absent. Inoculation experiments of guinea 
pigs, rabbits, and chickens will also disclose the differences among 
the above three diseases, since all of these species are killed by the 
germ of malignant edema, only the first two species by the anthrax 
bacillus, while the guinea pigs alone will succumb to the blackleg 
infection. 

Treatment. — Treatment is chiefly surgical and consists in laying 
the infected areas wide open by free incision, followed by a liberal 
application of a 30 per cent solution of hydrogen dioxide and subse- 
quently a 5 per cent solution of carbolic acid. Usually the disease 
when observed has advanced to such an extent that medicinal inter- 
ference is without avail. Preventive treatment is by far the most 
desirable, and consists, essentiallj*, in a thorough disinfection of all 
accidental and surgical wounds, the cleansing of the skin, and the 
exclusion of soil, filth, and bacteria during surgical operations of any 
nature. Sheds, barns, and stables should receive a thorough applica- 
tion of quicklime or crude carbolic-acid wash after all rubbish has 
been removed and burned. All animals should be burned or deeply 
buried and covered well with quicklime. 

SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER (TEXAS FEVER). 
(Pis. XLVI to LI, ineliisivo.) 

This disease, which is more coramonl}' know"n as splenetic, or Texas, 
fever, is a specific fever communicated by cattle which have recently 
been moved northward from the infected district, or which is con- 
tracted by cattle taken into the infected district from other parts of 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 459 

the world. It is cliaracterized by the peculiarity among animal dis- 
eases that the animals which disseminate the infection are apparently 
in good healtli, while tlioso which sicken and die from it do not, as a 
rule, infect others. 

It is accompanied by higli fever, greatly enlarged spleen, destruction 
of the red-blood corpuscles, escape of the coloring matter of the blood 
through the kidney- s, giving the urine a deep-rod color, by a yellowness 
of the mucous membranes and fat, whicli is seen more especially in fat 
cattle, b3' a rapid loss of strength, and by fatal results in a large pro- 
portion of cases. 

This disease has various names in different sections of the country'- 
where it frequently appears. It is often called Spanish fever, acclima- 
tion fever, red water, black water, distemper, murrain, dry murrain, 
yellow murrain, bloody murrain, Australian tick fever, and tristeza 
of South America. 

The earliest accounts wo have of this disease date back to 1814, when 
it was stated by Dr. James Moaso, before the Philadelphia Society for 
Promoting Agriculture, that the cattle from a certain district in South 
Carolina so certainly disease all others with whicli they mix in their 
progress to the Xorth that thej^ are prohibited by the i^eople of Yir- 
ginia from passing through the State; that these cattle infect others 
while they themselves are in perfect health, and that cattle from 
Europe or the interior taken to the vicinity of the sea are attacked 
by a disease that generallj' proves fatal. Similar observations have 
been made in regard to a district iu the southern part of the United 
States indicated by the red line on tlie map, Plate LI. This line, 
which determines the boundary between the noninfected territory 
above and the permanently infected districts below, is known as the 
Texas fever line. It is changed yearly as a result of the dissemina- 
tion or eradication of the cattle tick along the border, but has gradu- 
ally receded, owing to the successful endeavors i>ushed forward to 
eliminate the ticks. 

It was the frequent and severe losses following the driving of cattle 
from the infected district in Texas into and across the Western States 
and Territories which led to the disease being denominated Texas 
fever. It is now known, however, that the infection is not peculiar to 
Texas or even to the United States, but that it also exists in southern 
Europe, Central and South America, Australia, South Africa, and the 
West Indies. 

When cattle from other sections of the country are taken into the 
infected district they contract this disease usually during the first 
summer, and if they are adult animals, particularly milch cows or fat 
cattle, nearly all die. Calves are much more likely to survive. The 
disease is one from which immunity is acquired, and therefore calves 
which recover are not again attacked, as a rule, even after they become 
adult. 



460 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

When the infection is disseminated bejond the permanently infected 
district, the roads, pastures, pens, and other inclosures are dangerous 
for susceptible animals until freezing weather. The infection then 
disappears, and cattle may be driven over the grounds or kept in the 
inclosures the succeeding summer and the disease will not reappear. 
There are some exceptions to this rule in the section just north of the 
boundary line of the infected district. In this locality the infection 
sometimes resists the winters, especially when these are mild. 

In regard to the manner in which the disease is communicated, 
experience shows that this does not occur by animals coming near or 
in contact with each other. It is an indirect infection. The cattle 
from the infected district first infect the pastures, roads, pens, cars, 
etc., and the susceptible cattle obtain the virus second hand from 
these. Usually animals do not contract this disease when separated 
from infected pastures by a fence. If, however, there is any drain- 
age or washing by rains across the line of fence this rule does not hold 
good. 

The investigations made by the Bureau of Animal Industry demon- 
strate that the ticks which adhere to cattle from the infected district 
are the only known means of conveying the infection to the bodies of 
susceptible cattle. The infection is not spread by the saliva, tho 
urine, or the manure of cattle from the infected district. In stud^^injj 
the causation and prevention of this disease, attention must there- 
fore be largely given to the ticks, and it now seems apparent that if 
cattle could be freed from this parasite when leaving the infected dis- 
trict they would not be able to cause the malad3^ The discovery of 
the connection of the ticks with the production of the disease has 
played a very important part in determining the methods that should 
be adopted in j)reventing its spread. It established an essential point 
and indicated many lines of investigation which have yielded and are 
still likely to yield very important results. 

Nature oftJie disease. — Texas fever is caused by an organism which 
lives within the red-blood corpuscles and breaks them up. It is there- 
fore simply a blood disease. The organism does not belong to the 
bacteria but to the protozoa. It is not, in other words, a microscojiio 
plant, but it belongs to the lowest forms of the animal kingdom. 
This very minute organism multi]3lies very rapidly in the bodj^ of the 
infected animal, and in acute cases causes an enormous destruction 
of red corpuscles in a few days. How it gets into the red corpuscle 
it is not possible to state, but it appears that it enters as an exceed- 
ingly minute body, probably endowed with motion, and onl}' after it 
has succeeded in entering the corpuscle does it begin to enlarge. 
Plate XLYII, fig. 4, illustrates an early stage of tliis blood j)arasite. 
The red corpuscle contains a very minute roundish body which is 
stained blue to bring it into view. The body is, as a rule, situated 
nej.r the edge of the corpuscle. Fig. 5 illustrates an older stage in 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 461 

tlie growth of the parasite, in fact the hirge.st which has thus far been 
detected. It will be noticed that there ai-e usually two bodies in a 
corpuscle. These bodies are in general pear-shaped. The narrow 
ends are alwaj's toward each other when two are i^resent in the same 
coi'puscle. If we bear in mind that the average diameter of the red- 
blood corpuscles of cattle is from jyVo to ^oVo inch, the size of the 
contained parasite may bo at once appreciated by a glance at the fig- 
ures referred to. 

The various disease processes which go on in Texas fever, and 
which we may observe b}^ examining the organs after deatli, all result 
from the destruction of the red corpuscles. This destruction may be 
extremely rapid or slow. When it is rapid we have the acute, usu- 
all}'^ fatal, type of Texas fever, which is always witnessed in the height 
of the Texas-fever season ; that is, during the latter weeks of August 
and the early weeks of September. AVhen the destruction of corpus- 
cles is slower, a mild, usuallj'' nonfatal, tyjie of the disease is called 
forth, which is only witnessed late in autumn or more rarely in July 
and the early part of August. Cases of tlie mild type occurring thus 
early usually become acute later on and terminate fatally. 

Tlie acute disease is fatal in most cases, and the fatality is due not 
so much to the loss of blood corpuscles as to the difficulty which the 
organs liave in getting rid of the waste products arising from this 
wholesale destruction. How great this may be a simple calculation 
will serve to illustrate. If we take a steer weighing 1,000 pounds, the 
blood in its body will amount to about 50 pounds, if we assume that 
the blood represents one-twentieth of the weight of the body, a rather 
low estimate. According to experimental determination at the Bureau 
Station, which consists in counting the number of blood corpuscles 
in a given quantity of blood from day to day in such an animal, the 
corpuscles contained in from 5 to 10 pounds of blood may be destroyed 
within twenty-four hours. The remains of these corpuscles and the 
coloring matter in them must either be converted into bile or excreted 
unchanged. The result of this effort on the part of the liver causes 
extensive disease of this organ. The bile secreted by the liver cells 
contains so much solid material that it stagnates in the finest bile 
canals and chokes these up corapletel,y. This in turn interferes with 
the nutrition of the liver cells and they undergo fatty degeneration 
and perish. The functions of the liver are thereby completelj^ sus- 
pended and death is the result. This enormous destruction of corpus- 
cles takes place to a large extent in the kidne3\s, where a great number 
of corpuscles containing the parasites are always found in acute cases. 
This accounts largely for the blood-colored urine or red water which 
is such a characteristic feature of Texas fever. The corpuscles them- 
selves are not .found in the urine; it is the red coloring matter, or 
hemoglobin, which leaves them when they break up and passes into 
the urine. 



462 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Symptoins. — After a period of exposure to iufected soil, which may 
vary from tliirteen to ninety days, and wliich will be more fully dis- 
cussed further on under the subject of cattle ticks as bearers of the 
Texas-fever parasite, the disease first shows itself in dullness, loss of 
appetite, and a tendency to leave the herd and stand or lie down alone. 
A few days before these sj'mptoms appear the presence of a high fever 
may be detected by the clinical thermometer. The temperature rises 
from a normal of 101° to 103° F. to 106° and 107° F. There seems to 
be little or no change in temperature until recovery or death ensues. 
The period of high temperature or fever vanes considerably. As it 
indicates the intensity of the disease i)roeess going on within, the 
higher it is the more rapid the fatal end. "When it does not rise above 
104° F. the disease is milder and more prolonged. 

The bowels are mostly constipated during the fever; toward the 
end the feces ma}' become softer and rather deeply tinged with bile. 
The urine shows nothing abnormal during the course of the disease 
until near the fatal termination, when it may be deeply stained with 
the coloring matter of the blood. (Hemoglobinuria; see PI. XL VII, 
fig. 3.) Although this symptom is occasionally observed in animals 
which recover, yet it may generally be regarded as an indication of 
approaching death. The pulse and respiration are usualh' much more 
rapid than during health. 

Other sj'mptoms in addition to those mentioned have been described 
by observers, but they do not seem to be constant, and oul}" the above 
are nearly alwaj^s present. As the end approaches emaciation becomes 
ver}' marked, the blood is very thin and water}', and the closing of 
any wound of the skin by clots is retaj'ded. The animal manifests 
increasing stupor and may lie down much of the time. Signs of 
delirium have been observed in some cases. Death occurs most fre- 
quently in the night. 

The course of the disease is very variable induration. Death ma}' 
ensue in from three days to several weeks after the beginning ol the 
fever. Those that recover ultimately do so very slowly, owing to the 
great poverty of the blood in red corpuscles. The flesh is regained 
but very gradually, and the animal may be subjected to a second 
though mild attack later on in the autumn, which pushes tlie full 
recovery onward to the beginning of winter. 

In the mild type of the disease, which occurs in October and Novem- 
ber, .symptoms of disease are well-nigh absent. There is little if any 
fever, and if it were not for loss of flesh and more or lless dullness the 
disease might pass unnoticed, as it undoubtedly does in a majority of 
cases. If, however, the blood corpuscles be counted from time to 
time a gradually diminishing number will be found, and after several 
weeks only about one-fifth or one-sixth of the normal number are 
present. It is, indeed, surprising how little impression upon the ani- 
mal this very impoverished condition of the blood appears to make. 
It is probable, however, that if two animals kept under the same con- 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 463 

ditions, ono healthy and the other at the end of one of these mild 
attacks, be weighed, the difference would be plainly shown. 

Patliological changes observable after death . — In the preceding pages 
some of these haA'e already been referred to in describing the nature 
of the disease. It is very important at times to determine whether a 
certain disease is Texas fever or some other disease, like anthrax, for 
exanqjle. This fact can, as a rule, be determined at once bj" a thorough 
microscopic examination of the blood. The necessary apparatus and 
the requisite qualifications for this task leave this method entirely in 
the hands of experts. There is, however, a considerable number of 
changes caused by this disease which may be detected by the naked 
eye when the bod}^ has been opened. These, put together, make a 
mistake quite impossible. The presence of small ticks on the skin of 
the escutcheon, the thighs, and the udder is a verj'- important sign in 
herds north of the Texas- fever line, as it indicates that they have been 
brought in some manner from the South and carried the disease with 
them, as will be explained later. Another very important sign is the 
thin, watery condition of the blood, either just before death or when 
the fever has been present for four or five days. A little incision into 
the skin will enable an3'one to determine this point. Frequently the 
skin is so poor in blood that it maj' require several incisions to draw 
a drop or more. 

The changes in the internal organs, as found on postmortem exami- 
nations, are briefly as follows : The spleen, or milt, is much larger than 
in health}' animals. It may weigh three or four times as much. When 
it is incised the contents or pul^D is blackish (see PI. XLYI, fig. 1), and 
may even well out as a disintegrated mass. The markings of the 
healthy spleen (fig. 2) are all effaced by the enormous number of blood 
corpuscles which have collected in the spleen and to v/hich the enlarge- 
ment is due. Next to the spleen the liver will arouse our attention. 
(See PI. XLYII, fig. 2.) It is larger than in the healthy state, has lost 
its natural brownish color (fig. 1), and now has on the surface a paler 
yellowish hue. When it is incised this yellowish tinge or mahoganj' 
color, as it has been called by some, is still more prominent. This is 
due to the large amount of bile in the finest bile cai>illaries, and as 
these are not uniformlj' filled with it the cut surface has a more or less 
mottled appearance. This bile injection causes in many cases a fatty 
degeneration of the liver cells, which makes the organ appear still 
lighter in color. v 

In all cases the gall bladder should be examined. This is distended 
with bile, which holds in suspension a large quantitj' of yellow flakes, 
so that when it is poured into a tall bottle to settle fully one-half or 
more of the column of fluid will be occupied by a layer of flakes. If 
mucus is present at the same time, the bile may become so viscid that 
when it is poured from one glass to another it forms long bands. The 
bile in health is a limpid fluid containing no solid particles. 

If the animal has not been observed during life to pass urine colored 



4G4 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

with blood or red water, the bladder should be opened. This quite 
invariably, in acute cases, contains urine which varies in color from a 
deep port wine to a light claret. In many cases the color is so dense 
that light will not pass through even a thin layer. (PI. XLVII, fig. 3.) 
The kidneys are always found congested in the acute attack. The 
disease exerts but little effect on the stomach and intestines beyond 
more or less reddening of the mucous membrane; hence an exami- 
nation of these may be safely omitted. Tlie lungs are, as a rule, not 
diseased. The heart usually shows patches of blood extravasation on 
the inside (left ventricle), and less markedly on the outer surface. 

We have observed jaundice of the various tissues but very rarely. 
It has been observed by some quite regularly, however. 

During the hot season about 90 per cent of the susceptible mature 
animals from a noninfected district die, but later, in the cool weather, 
the disease assumes a milder tj^pe, with a consequent decrease in the 
number of deaths. 

The cattle tick, Ixodes hovis {Riley), Boophilus hovis {Curtice), 
Boopliilus annulatus {Stiles and Hasscdl) as the carrier of Texas fever. 
(Pis. XLVIII, XLIX, and L.) — The cattle tick is, as its name indi- 
cates, a parasite of cattle in the southern part of the United States. 
It belongs to the group of Artliropoda and to the genus Ixodes 
{Boophilus), which is included in tlie order Acarina. Its life history 
is quite simjile and easily traced from one generation to another. It 
is essentially a parasite, attaching itself to the skin (PL XLIX) and 
drawing the blood of its host. It is unable to come to maturity and 
reproduce its kind unless it becomes attached to the skin of cattle, 
■whence it may obtain its food. 

The eggs laid on the ground after the female has dropped from the 
host begin to develop at once. Wlien the embryo is fully formed 
within the shell it ruptures this and gains its freedom. The time 
required from the lajnng of the eggs to their hatching varies cousid- 
erably, according to the temperature. In the laboratory in the heat 
of midsummer this was accomplished in about thirteen days. In the 
late fall, under the same conditions, it required from four to six weeks. 
The larva after emerging from the Q^g is very minute, six-legged, and 
just visible to the naked eye. (PL XLYIII, fig. 3.) If these larvfe 
be kept on a layer of moist sand or earth in a covered dish, they may 
remain alive for months, but there is no appreciable increase in size. 
As soon, however, as they are i)laced upon cattle growth begins. 

On pastures these little creatures soon find their way onto cattle. 
They attach themselves by preference to the tender skin on the 
escutcheon, the inside of the thighs, and on the base of the udder. 
Yet when the}^ are very numerous they may be found in small num- 
bers on various parts of the body, such as the neck, the chest, and 
the ears. (PL XLIX.) 

The changes which they undergo during their parasitic existence 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 465 

were first studied by Dr. Cooper Curtice in 1889. The young tick 
within a, week molts, and the second or nymjihal stage of the para- 
site's life is thus ushered in. After this change it lias four pairs of 
legs. Within another week another molt takes place by which the 
tick passes from the nj'mphal to the sexual, or adult, stage. Impreg- 
nation now takes place, and, with the development of the ova in the 
bod}', the animal takes an increased quantity of blood, so that it 
becomes very much larger in a few days. That the rapid growth is 
due to the blood taken in may be easily proved by crushing one. The 
intestine is distended with a thick, tarry mass composed of partly 
digested blood. When the female has reached a certain stage of 
maturity she drops to the ground and begins to lay a large number of 
eggs, which hatch in the time given above. 

The life of the cattle tick is thus spent largely on cattle, and 
although the j^oung, or larv?e, may live for a long time on the ground 
in the summer season, they can not mature excepting as parasites on 
cattle and horses. We have purposely omitted various details of the 
life history, including that of the male, as they are not necessary to 
an understanding of our present subject — Texas fever. How this is 
transmitted we will proceed to consider. 

Southern cattle sent North during the spring and summer months 
carr}?- on their bodies large numbers of the cattle tick. These when 
matured drop off and lay their eggs on Xorthern j^astures. These 
hatch, and the young tick soon gets upon any Northern cattle which 
hapjjen to be on the jjasture. As soon as they have attached them- 
selves to the skin they inoculate the cattle, and Texas fever breaks 
out a week or more thereafter. For many years there had been a 
growing suspicion that the cattle tick was in some way concerned in 
the spread of Texas fever, and the facts which suj)ported this suppo- 
sition finall}^ became so numerous and convincing that a series of 
experiments were inaugurated by the Bureau of Animal Industry 
which served to show that the tick was abundantly' able to carrj^ the 
disease to a herd of healthy cattle, and in fact was probabl}^ the onlj^ 
agent concerned in the transmission of the disease from Southern 
cattle to susceptible Northern animals. 

The regulations which have been enacted bj' the Department of 
Agriculture for the control of cattle shipments from the infected dis- 
tricts have for their initial purpose the prevention of the transporta- 
tion of cattle ticks from infected regions to those that are noninfected, 
either ui:)on cattle or in stock cars or other conveyer, and the exclu- 
sion of these parasites from noninfected territory has in every instance 
been found a certain method of excluding Texas fever. 

The so-called period of incubation. — After the young ticks have 
attached themselves to cattle the fever appears about ten days there- 
after in midsummer. When the weather is cool, as in autumn, this 

8267—04 30 



4(30 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

period may be a little longer. The actual period of incubation may 
be shorter than this, for if blood from a case of Texas fever be injected 
into tlie blood vessels of healthy cattle the fever nmy appear within 
live days When cattle graze upon pastures over which Southern 
(••ittle have passed, the time when the disease appears varies within 
wide limits. When the animals have been put upon pastures imme- 
di'itely after Southern cattle have infected them with ticks, it may 
take from thirty to sixty days, or even longer, before the disease 
appears This will be readily understood when we recall the life his- 
tory of ticks The Southern cattle leave only matured ticks which 
have dropped from them. These must lay their eggs and the latter 
be hatched before any ticks can get npon native cattle. The shortest 
period is thus not less than thirty days, if we include ten days for the 
period of incubation after the young tick has attached itself to native 
cattle When the infection of pastures with ticks has taken place 
e-irly in the season, or when this is cold, the period will be much 
longer because it takes longer for the eggs to hatch. . , , , 

If native cattle are placed upon pastures which have been infected 
some time before with ticks, the disease will appear so much sooner, 
because the young ticks may be already hatched and attack the cattle 
at once It will be evident, therefore, that the length of time elaps- 
ino- between the exposure of native cattle on infected fields and the 
appearance of the disease will depend on the date of original infec- 
tion and on the weather, ^yhether cold or hot. When native cattle 
are placed upon fields on which young ticks are already present, they 
will show the fever in thirteen to fifteen days if the season be hot. 

The fever appears before the ticks have matured. In fact, they are 
still small enough to be overlooked. In any case very careful search 
should be made for them in those places upon which they prefer to 
iocate-the thighs, escutcheon, and udder. After the acute stage of 
the fever has passed by, the ticks begin to swell up and show very 
plainly. (PL XLVIII, figs. 6 and 7.) 

Frevention —So far as our experiments have gone they indicate that 
Texas fever is carried nortli only by the cattle tick. That there 
nviy possibly be other sources of infection can not be denied; but if 
there be sucli, they have never been observed. Hence sanitary regu- 
lations governing the movement of cattle from the infected districts 
were adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture with the view of keep- 
ing the ticky cattle below the quarantine line. These regulations 
will be described below. ,. ■, . a 

It is generally accepted tliat if Southern cattle are entirely freed 
from that species of ticks known as the Boopliilus anmdatus, they 
can be allowed to mingle with the most susceptible animals without 
dano-er Among the most important measures to be adopted in eradi- 
cating this parasite from cattle in the infected districts may be men- 
tioned the destruction of the ticks on the cattle by means of picking 
or brushing them off, by smearing the animals w.ith a disinfecting 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OK CATTLE. 407 

solution, or by dipping- llio tieky animals in a vat eontainin:;' a soln- 
1 ion c^j)able of killing the ticks withont injury to the cattle. When 
the ticks have been picked or brushed oft: the cattle, the animals 
sliould be carefully examined later for the presence of those younj^: 
licks which have matured in the meantime. Greasing the legs and 
sides of the cattle with lard, cotton-seed oil, etc., will assist in ijre- 
veuting the ticks from crawling up on the body. In small herds 
smearing the cattle with a mixture of 1 gallon of kerosene, 1 gallon 
of cotton-seed oil, 1 pound of sulphur, and 2 pounds of pine tar, or 
with a mixture composed of equal parts of cotton-seed oil and crude 
petroleum, has proved efficacious when applied daily to the skin dui'- 
ing the season. For this jjurpose sponges, syringes, brushes, mops, 
and brooms may be used. Many efforts haA^e been made to discover 
a practicable method of dipping cattle for destroying these ticks with- 
out injuring the cattle, and the Bureau of Animal Industry has 
experimented for years with this object in view. Such treatment, if 
successful, Avould relieve most of the Southern cattle from quarantine 
restrictions, and would make these cattle bring more money in the 
markets of the country. After many failures, apparent success has 
been reached by dipping the cattle in the crude oil obtained from 
certain Texas wells. This oil is heavily charged with sulphur, and in 
the experiments so far made has not materially affected the cattle. 
It is necessary to regard such a treatment with some reserve until a 
large number of animals have been treated under the condition^ 
which obtain in the i^ractical shipment of cattle from the infected 
district to the markets; but it maj' be said now that this oil has been 
tried at the Animal Industry experiment station near Washington 
with entirely successful results, being distinctly superior to any other 
substance tested, and that it has also been tried in the field with about 
70 head of cattle, the effect being equally favorable. Arrangements 
are now made for using the treatment on a much larger number of 
animals, and if, as hoped, no objections to it develop, it will be of 
inestimable value to the cattle industry of the Southern States. 

The systematic application of one or more of these methods of 
destroying the ticks upon cattle, together with appropriate measures 
for ridding the pastures of these parasites, has been successfully 
adopted in certain sections, and has thus diminished the area of the 
infected district. 

How to rid pastures of ticks without destroying the vegetation on 
them was for a long time the problem. While this may be impossible 
on large ranches it has been successf ullj'- accomplished on small farms 
by dividing the pastures into two parts by a double parallel line of 
fence with a 10-foot space between to- prevent ticks from crawling 
across. One of these pastures is then kept free of cattle for two 
winters and one summer. After the second winter it will be free of 
ticks and ready for tickless cattle, when the other pasture is aban- 



468 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

tloiied for the same period of time. When cattle infected with ticks 
are to be placed on noninfected pastures it is recommended by Curtice 
tokeeptlie cattle in a small inclosure for three weeks, after which thej^ 
should be removed and placed in a similar pen for another three weeks. 
At this time the cattle should be examined, and if any ticks are 
observed they should be placed in a third pen for two weeks more ; 
otherwise the cattle may be placed in a noninfected pasture. B3' this 
system the j'oung ticks mature and drop off, and the animal is removed 
from the pen before it has time to become reinfected by the hatching 
of the eggs. Another method of destroj^ ing ticks on pastures is to 
cultivate the soil for a year or more without permitting any cattle 
upon the ground during this period. After the second winter the 
field may be restocked with cattle not infected with ticks. 

Iinraunization of Northern caftle. — It is often desirable to ship well- 

TEXAS FEVER. 

[Description of plates.] 

Plate XL VI. Fig. 1. Spleen of an acute fatal case of Texas fever. The narrow 
end of the spleen is here represented. Fig. 2. Spleen of healthy steer. Though 
the latter animal weighed one-half more than the former, the weight of the diseased 
spleen (6-J pounds) was nearlj^ three times that of the healthy spleen (2# pounds). 

Plate XLVII. Fig. 1. The cut surface of a healthy liver taken from a steer 
slaughtered for beef. Fig. 2. The cut surface of the liver in Texas fever. Fig. 3. 
Appearance of the urine in an acute fatal case of Texas fever. Fig. 4. Red cor- 
puscles, magnified a thousand diameters, containing the parasite of Texas fever. 
This appears as a blue point a near the edge of the corpuscle. The blood was 
taken froni a skin incision. The case was nonfatal and occurred late in fall. 
Fig. 5. Red corpuscles from the blood of an acute fatal case, twenty hours before 
death. The Texas fever microbes a are shown as pear-shaped bodies, stained with 
methylene blue, within the red corpuscles. The larger body on the right h is a 
■white blood corpuscle, also stained with methylene blue. Magnified a thousand 
diameters. 

Plate XLVIII. The cattle tick, the carrier of Texas fever. Fig. 1. A series of 
ticks, natural size, from the smallest, ji^st hatched from the egg, to the mature 
female ready to droj) off and lay eggs. Fig. 2. Eggs, magnified 5 times. Fig. 3. 
The young tick just hatched, magnified 40 times. Fig. 4. The male after the last 
molt, magnified 10 times. Fig. 5. The female after the last molt, magnified 10 
times. Fig. G. A portion of the skin of the udder, showing the small ticks. From 
a fatal case of Texas fever .produced by placing young ticks on the animal. Nat- 
ural size. Fig. 7. A portion of the ear of the same animal, showing same full- 
grown ticks ready to drop off. Natural size. 

Plate XLIX. Portion of a steer's hide, showing the Texas fever tick (Boojihitus 
annnlatus) of the United States. Natural size. Original. 

Plate L. Fig. 1. Dorsal view of male Bocjjhilus annulatus of the United States, 
greatly enlarged. Original. Fig. 2. Ventral view of male Boophilus annulattts 
of the United States, greatly enlarged. Original. Fig. 3. Dorsal view of replete 
female Boojjhilus amiulafus. greatly enlarged. Original. Fig. 4. Ventral view 
of same. 

Plate LI. Map of the United States, showing the Texas fever quarantine line, 
indicated in red. This line determines the boundary between the noninfected 
territory above and the permam^ntly infected districts below. 






Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xlvi 




Diseases or Cattle 



Plate xlvii 




Fio.l 




Fid. 



Fit 4 



V\^ 2 



•t; 



-a 



i-'id. 5 



Texas Fever. 



n 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate xlviii 






Fie. 



h:^ 



Mi 



Fie 1 




Fig. 3 




Kid -1 




I'io. .') 










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l-l<i i-i 



Fio 7 
The Cattle Tick-the Carrier ofTexas Fever. 



jS SIES a CO. I 



Diseases of Cattle. 



Plate XLIX. 





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Portion of a Steer's Hide, Showing the Texas-fever Tick (Boophilus annula- 
Tus) OF the United States. Natural Size. Original. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate l 







Fiiis.iaiui2 Dorsal AND ventral views of Male 

Texas Fever Tick.( Boophi lus annulatus ) 

Figs.3 and 4 DORSAL AND VENTRAL VIEWS OF REPLETE FEMALE 

Texas Fever Tick.(Boophilus annulatus ) 



1 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate li. 




INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 4G9 

bred cattle into infected districts that they may be used to imin'ove 
the quality of the native cattle already there. Previous to the dis- 
covery of the cause of Texas fever it was found to be well-nigh impos- 
sible to introduce iiurebred cattle from the North into any of the 
infected regions without suffering great loss, sometimes as high as 90 
per cent, within a few months of their arrival at their Southern desti- 
nation. At first it was thought that the fatalities were due to climatic 
changes, but later the discovery was made that Texas fever was in 
reality causing these numerous deaths. 

It has now been found practicable to immunize this class of cattle 
so perfectly that the losses which follow their transportation to a tick- 
infested region are reduced to a minimum. Young animals 8 to 12 
months old should, so far as possible, be selected for this purpose, 
as they are more readily immunized than adults, are more easily 
handled, and the dangers which may arise from pregnane}" while 
undergoing the immunizing treatment are thus avoided. 

Immunity in these cattle is obtained by introducing the micro- 
parasite of the blood into their sj^stems. It may be done by direct 
artificial inoculation, or by j)lacing virulent young ticks upon 
the animals and allowing them to perform the inoculation in the nat- 
ural manner. The subcutaneous injection of a small amount of 
defibrinated virulent blood has been found, by means of prolonged 
experiment the preferable method, as the number of microorganisms 
introduced can be more accuratel}" gaged from the syringe than by 
allowing the infection to be produced by the bites of ticks. Two or 
three inoculations if repeated at intervals of three weeks are accom- 
plished with greater safety to the animal than would be possible })y 
means of a single inoculation. The amount first injected should be 
small, and then graduallj' increased in the following treatments: 

The late summer or fall months have been proved to be the most 
suitable seasons of the j-ear for making these inoculations, and the 
cattle should then be shipped South in December or Januar}^ for the 
reason that natural infection with the ticks of the region will be less 
severe at that season of the year than at any other. 

The inoculation always results in a more or less serious attack of 
Texas fever upon the animal treated. There is fever, great diminu- 
tion of red-blood corpuscles, and at times a fatal termination, but the 
proportion of deaths resulting from the inoculation is small when 
compared with the fatalities among animals taken directly into 
infected districts. Instead of a loss of 00 per cent among breeding 
stock taken South it has been shown that by this method of immuniza- 
tion 90 per cent can be saved. In no case should treatment of this 
nature be undertaken by a person who is not fully versed in the 
pathology and clinical course of the disease. 

Treatment. — When the disease has broken out, all animals, the sick 
as well as the healthv, should at once be removed to another non- 



470 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

infected pasture. Wiiile tliis may not cut short tlie disease, it may 
save the lives of some by removing them from the possibility of being 
attacked by more 3'oung ticks. Removal from infected pastures like- 
wise prevents a second later attack in October or early in Xovember, 
which is caused by another generation of ticks. It is true that sick 
natives infect with a new generation of ticks the pasture to which 
they are removed, but these usually appear so late that they have but 
little opportunity to do any damage. Hence, sick natives do not, as 
a rule, cause visible disease in other natives. 

It is of importance to remoA'e all ticks, as far as this is possible, 
from sick animals, since they abstract a considerable amount of 
blood and thereby retard the final recovery. 

Medical treatment of the sick has generallj^ been unsatisfactory, 
although in chronic cases and those occurring late in the fall bene- 
ficial results have followed. If the animal is constipated, a drench 
containing 1 i)ound of Epsom salts dissolved in 1 quart of water 
should be administered, followed bj'^ the sulphate of quinine in doses 
of 30 to 90 grains, according to the size of the animal, four times a 
day until the system is well saturated with it. Tincture of digitalis 
one-half ounce and whisky or alcohol 2 ounces ma}" be combined Avith 
the quinine, according to indications of individual cases. An iron 
tonic containing reduced iron 2 ounces, powdered gentian 4 ounces, 
powdered nux vomica 2 ounces, powdered rhubarb 2 ounces, and potas- 
sium nitrate ounces will be found beneficial in the convalescent 
stage when the fever has run its course. This tonic should be given 
in heaping-tablespoonful doses three times a day in the food. Good 
nursing is essential in treating these cases, and the animal should be 
given a nutritious laxative diet, with plentj' of clean and cool drinking 
water. 

Sanitary rcgidaiions. — The disease, outside of the infected district, 
may bo prevented by proper regulations governing the movement of 
cattle from that district during the season of the j^ear that infection 
is possible. Such regulations are now made j^earlj'^ bj^ the Secretary 
of Agriculture. Tliey define the boundary of the infected district, 
and tliis year provide that no cattle shall go out of it except for 
immediate slaughter during that portion of the year included between 
tlie dates of February 1 and October 31. At the present time cattle 
may be moved from said quarantined district for purposes other than 
immediate slaughter from November 1 to January 31, inclusive, into 
the noninfected area within the States of Virginia, North Carolina, 
Tennessee, Texas, and California, and to the States of Missouri and 
Kansas, and the Territories of Arizona and Ncav Mexico, as may be 
provided for in the regulations of these States and Territories, and 
after inspection and upon Avritten permission hy an inspector of the 
Bureau of Animal Industry, or a duly authorized inspector of the 
Slate or Territory to which the cattle are destined. From November 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 471 

1 to December ;J1, inclusive, cattle from said district may be moved 
to the noninfected area in the Territory of Oklahoma after inspection 
and upon the written permission of an inspector of the I>nreau of 
Animal Industry. 

All cattle from the quarantined district destined to points outside 
of the States and Territories above naiued may be shipped Avithout 
inspection between November 1 and January 31, inclusive (the open 
season), without restrictions other than may be enforced by local 
regulations at point of destination. Cattle from the infected district 
going to slaughter during tlic closed season can not be driven, but 
must be shipped bj" rail or boat. The waybills and cars are marked 
" Southern cattle" when they cross the boundary line, and when they 
are unloaded for feeding, watering, or sale they are placed in pens 
set apart for such animals and into which native stock is not allowed 
to go. The cars and boats wiiich have transported such cattle must 
be cleaned and disinfected before native stock can be carried. 

By these simple regulations the disease has been practically pre- 
vented in the noninfected district during the past several years, and 
little or no hardship has been caused to those shipping or handling 
cattle from the infected district. This success is one of the best 
illustrations of the value of proper regulations made in accordance 
with the principles of veterinary science and intelligently adminis- 
tered. 

NAGAXA. 

Xagana, also called tsetse fly disease, is an infectious fever occur- 
ring chiefly in horses and cattle, characterized by alternating par- 
oxysms and intermissions and produced by a specific flagellate proto- 
zoan {Trypanosoma Brucei) in the blood. It is probably transmitted 
from animal to animal solely by the bites of the tsetse fly. This 
insect is something like a large house fly, and whe?i it settles on a 
diseased animal sucks the blood and infects its proboscis, it is enabled 
on biting a second animal to infect the latter by direct inoculation. 
This disease is found throughout a large portion of Central and 
Southern Africa, along the low-lying and swampy valleys. It has 
never occurred in the United States, nor is it known to be present in 
the Philippines, but its relation to surra and the i^ossibilitj' of its 
appearance in one of our island dependencies are the reasons for 
including a few remarks at this time. 

Sumpioms. — The chief SA-mptoms in addition to the fever, which is 
usually about 104° to 105° F., are the muscular wasting, progressive 
anemia, and loss of power, together with the edema most marked 
about the head, legs, abdomen, and genital organs. The urine is 
yellow and turbid, and occasionally contains albumen and blood. 
There is i)aralysis of one or both of the hind legs, difficult urination 
and defecation, labored breathing, discharge from the eyes and nose, 



472 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

extreme thirst, and gradual extension of paralysis to other parts of 
the hod}'. The disease runs a chronic course, lasting from three to 
six weeks in horses, and from one to six months in cattle. Besides 
these animals, the mule, ass, buffalo, antelope, hyena, camel, and dog 
contract the disease naturallj^ and sheep, goats, cats, and small 
laboratory animals succumb to artificial inoculation. 

Lesions. — The spleen and Ij-mphatic glands are enlarged. There 
are sero-fibrinous exudates in the body cavities, the liver is enlarged 
and engorged, heart flabby, and a catarrhal condition is present in the 
respiratory passages. Pathological changes occur in the sjiinal cord. 
The finding of the trypanosoma by microscopic examination of the 
blood will be conclusive evidence for diagnosis. 

Treaiment. — Treatment has not pi'oved satisfactory. Quinine, 
arsenic, methj^lene blue, and other drugs have been used, but without 
success. Endeavors thus far made to produce immunity from this 
disease have likewise been unavailing. 

CATTLE FARCY. 

This is a chronic disease of cattle occurring in France and the 
island of Gaudeloupe, West Indies. It is characterized bj" caseating 
nodular swellings, first of the skin and afterwards of the superficial 
Ij'mphatic vessels and glands, finally i^roving fatal within a year by 
extension to the viscera. The swellings rupture and discharge a 
purulent yellowish fluid, which contains the causative organism. 
This affection, called farcin dii hoeuf by the French, resembles 
cutaneous glanders or farcy of horses, but is caused by an entirel}^ 
different organism, the streptothrix of Nocard. Moreover, cattle are 
immune from glanders and for this reason the name, unfortunatelj'^ 
applied to this disease, should not lead to any confusion with the 
cutaneous glanders or farcy of horses. Although the disease has 
only been described as occurring in Gaudeloupe and France, the pos- 
sn)ility of its occurrence in our new possessions warrants its mention 
ill this cliapter. 

Treaiment. — Treatment consists in making incisions into the swell- 
ings and syringing them out with 5 per cent creolin or carbolic acid. 
The cavities may then be packed with cotton soaked in 5 per cent 
zinc chloride solution. The swollen lymphatics may also be bathed or 
covered with cloths wrung out in this solution. 

NOTE. 

The following are also infectious diseases of cattle, a discussion of 
which will be found in previous chapters: 

Page. 

Tetanus 000 

White scour of calves 000 

Contagions abortion 000 

Infectious ophthalmia (pink eye) 000 



THE ANIMAL PAEASITES OF CATTLE. 

By Ch. Wardell Stiles, Ph.D.« 

111 a short article of this kind it will be best to arrange the para- 
sites according to the organs they infest, rather than according to 
their zoological order. It is, however, necessary to state that the 
parasites of cattle belong to different groups in the animal kingdom, 
which may be distingnished as follows: 

(1) The x>i"otozoa are minute animals which are nsnally not visible to the naked 
eye. In cattle parasitic protozoa are reported from the stomach, intestine, liver, 
vagina, muscles, and blood. In some cases the farmer will be able to recognize 
the diseases which these small organisms cause, but he will seldom be able to 
recognize the parasites themselves unless he understands how to use a microscope. 

(2) Flukes, or trematodes, occur chiefly in the liver, stomach, lungs, and blood. 
They are visible to the naked eye and look like a leaf or a leech. It will be a rare 
exception if the farmer is able to recognize them unless he examines the organs of 
a dead animal. 

(3) Larval tapcu'onns, larval cestodes, or bladder worms, are bladder-like struc- 
tiires and may occur in any organ except the intestinal canal; they are found 
more particularly, however, in the muscles, lungs, liver, and attached to the caul 
(omentum) in the abdominal cavity. The farmer will be able to recognize them 
only by examining the organs of a dead animal. 

(4) Adult tapciooinns (adult cestodes) look like a piece of tape and are seg- 
mented. They live in the small intestine, and are sometimes found in the drop- 
pings. 

(5) Roundworms, or threadiaorms (nematodes) , look like a jiiece of thread or 
wire, and some of the larger forms look something like a white or yellow lead 
pencil. They occur especially in the stomach, intestine, and lungs, but are also 
found in the abdominal cavity, eye, spleen, and elsewhere. They are occasionally 
seen in the droppings. 

(G) Bloodsuckers are elongate worms, much like earthworms, but possess a 
sucking disk at one end. They are occasionally parasitic in the mouth, nose, 
pharynx, and larynx. 

(T) Tongue worms are not true worms, but are related to the ticks. They 
occur in cysts in the mesenteric glands and in the lungs, but will probably rarely 
be recognized by farmers. 

(8) Mites are small animals which possess three pairs of legs when young, but 
four pairs when older. They are parasitic on the skin and cause mange. Some 
forms are found in the ear. 

(9) Ticks are similar to mites, but much larger. They are parasitic on the 
skin or in the ear. 

"Formerly zoologist, Bureau of Animal Industry, btit transferred, August 16, 
1902, to United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service, as Chief of 
Division of Zoology. 

473 



474 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

(10) Insect larv.r, grubs, or hots, are yoving stages of flies and are foiind 
encysted in the esophagus or under the skin and in other parts of the l)ody. 

(11) Adult insects have three pairs of legs, and are usually provided with vs-ings, 
except in the case of lice and fleas. 

TREATMENT OF PARASITIC DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

"We may lay down the following general rules regarding treatment: 
(1) External parasites, except ticks and hair follicle mites, can usu- 
ally be killed by dipping. (2) Parasites which are free in the stomach 
can be killed or expelled with drenches of a 1 per cent solution of 
creosote, or with gasoline. Drenching tubes (fig. 1) are more con- 
venient than drenching bottles, and, when administering a dose, it is 
better to have the animal standing or kneeling than lying down. (3) 




Fig. 1.— A drenching tube, made from an ordinary lO-ceut tin funnel, a piece of rubber hose, and 
a piece of brass pipe, one-fourth natural size (original) . 

Some of the parasites which are free in the intestine can be expelled 
with powdered thymol or with drenches. (4) There is no satisfactory'- 
medical treatment for any of the animal parasites found in the mus- 
cles, bones, nervous system, lungs," liver, spleen, pancreas, or kid- 
neys, or for the parasitic worms which are encysted in the wall of the 
stomach or of the intestine. (See Stiles, 1901b.) (5) In connection 
with the parasitic diseases of cattle, therefore, we must rely chief!}' 
upon prevention. 

PREVENTION OF PARASITIC DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Parasitic diseases may be greatl)' lessened if certain general 
liygienic rules are followed as indicated below: . 

(1) Ever}' ranch should have a hospital pasture situated on high, 
di-y ground, well drained, and without any pools or ponds; it should 

"See, however, Verminous bronchitis, p. 492. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 475 

be supplied witli raised troughs for Avatei'iug' and feeding, and the 
water suppl}^ should conio from a well or a spriug. Tliis pasture 
should not draiu into any pasture in which healthy stock are feeding. 

(2) As soon as any sick annual is noticed in tlio large pasture it 
should immediatelj' be separated from the healthy stock and taken 
to the hospital pasture. To allow sick animals to run at large with 
healthy stock means deliberately to i^ermit the spread of infection in 
the pastures and thus to endanger the liealthy animals. 

(3) Proper watering places should be supplied in the large pastures 
by digging wells and erecting windmills to pump the water into tanks. 
These tanks should be raised above the ground, so that they can not 
become contaminated bj' the washing of animal droppings into tliem 
by rains and floods. 

(■t) Select liigh, sloping ground for pastui-e when this is iwssible. 
Low j)astures should l:>e properly drained. 

(5) Burn the x>astui'es regularly, thoroughly, and S3^stematically. 
The heat from the burning grass will kill manj' of the e^^g^^ and young 
worms on the grass, the ground, and in the drox)pings. 
■ (G) As parasites are more fatal to young animals than to old stock, 
a liberal supplj^ of oats or some similar food will aid in giving to 
young animals strength, wliich will enable tliem to withstand the 
infection. A daily allowance of, say, half a i>ound of oats per lamb 
ought to rednce the mortality. At first the animals maj' not be 
inclined to eat it, but they will soon become accustomed to it. This 
simple precaution is reported as very effectual in New Zealand. 

(7) Keep plenty of salt accessible to animals. Some men add slaked 
lime to the salt. As a matter of experience, salt kills many young 
Avorms. 

(8) Kill all stray and ownerless dogs, and kill all wolves, coyotes, 
and other wild canines. These animals transmit several serious 
diseases to live stock as well as to man. 

(9) Prevent the fodder and drinking water from contamination 
with human feces, and never build privies near stock pens or stock 
yards. 

(10) Encourage the breeding of toads, frogs, and carp in districts 
which are subject to floods and overflows. These animals will 
decrease liver fluke disease by destroying the parasites in their j'oung 
stage and by feeding on snails, which serve as intermediate hosts. 

LITERATURE ON ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE PUBLISHED BY THE 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

As this article is necessarily verj^ short, references for the more 
important i^arasites are given to other publications issued hx the 
Department of Agriculture and in which the parasites in question 
are described in more detail. Some »f these XDublications are now out 



476 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

of print, bnt can bo consulted in tlie State experiment stations and 
various libraries. 

Curtice, Cooper. 

1890.— The animal parasites of sheep. 223 pp., .36 pis. 8". (U. S. Dept. 
Agric.) [W*.]« [Edition exhausted.] 
Hickman, Richard West. 

1902a. — Description and treatment of scabies in cattle <Bul. 40, Bnrean Ani- 
mal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., pp. 1-23, figs. 1-16. 1 pi., figs. 
1-?. [W.] 
1902b. — Scabies in cattle <Farmers' Bui. 152, U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., pp. 
1-24, figs. 1-lG. [W\] 
OsBORN, Herbert. 

1896. — Insects affecting domestic animals: An account of the species of impor- 
tance in North America, with mention of related forms occurring in other 
animals <Biil. 5, n. s. . Div. Entom., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., 302 pp., 
170 figs. [W".] [Edition exhausted.] 
Riley, Charles Valentine. 

1892. — The ox bot in the United States. Habits and natural history of Hypo- 
derma lineata <Insect Life, Wash., v. 4 (9-10), June, pp. 802-317, figs. 
44-55. [W\] [Edition exhausted.] 
Riley, Charles Valentine, & Howard, Leland Ossian. 

1889. — The hornfly (Hcematobia serrata Robineau-Desvoidy) <Insect Life. 
Wash., V. 2 (4), Oct.. pp. 93-103, figs. 11-15. [W\] [Edition exhausted.] 
Salmon, Daniel Elmer. 

1886. — Verminous bronchitis in calves and lambs, and its treatment by tra- 
cheal injections <2d Ann. Rep. Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. 
Agric, Wash., pp. 278-289, pis. 8-11. [W.] [Edition exhausted.] 
Salmon, Daniel Elmer; & Stiles, Charles Wardell. 

1898a. — Sheep scab: its nature and treatment <Bul. 21, Bureau Animal 

Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., 64 pp., .36 figs., 6 pis. [W^] 
1898b. — The same. Reprinted <14th Ann. Rep. Bureau Animal Indust.. U. S. 

Dept. Agric, Wash., pp. 98-165, figs. 19-54, pis. 1-6. [W".] 
1901a.— The cattle ticks (Ixodoidea) of the United States < 17tli Ann. Rep., 
Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash. (1900), pp. 380-491, 
figs. 47-238, pis. 74-98. [W^] 
1902a. — Emergency report on surra <Bul. 42, Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. 

Dept. Agric, Wash., pp. 11-130, figs. 1-112. [W\] 
1902b. — The same. Reprinted <18th Ann. Rep. Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. 
Dept. Agric, Wash. (1901), pp. 41-182, figs. 1-112. [W^] 
Smith, Theobald. 

1893.— Preliminary notes on a sporozoi'm in the intestinal villi of cattle -Bui. 
3, Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric. Wash., pp. 73-78, pi. 1. 
[W''.] [Edition exhausted.] 
Smith, Theobald, & Kilborxe, Frank L. 

1893.— Investigations into the nature, causation, and prevention of Texas, or 
Southern cattle, fever <Bitl. 1. Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, 
Wash.. 301 pp.. figs. 1-7. pis. 1-10. [W\] 
Stiles, Charles Wardell. 

1897. — The country slaughterhouse as a factor in the spread of disease < Year- 
book U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash. (1896), pp. 155-166. [W".] 



" [W"] signifies that this article ijaay be consulted in the library of the United 
States Department of Agriculture. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 477 

Stiles. Charles Wardell— Continued. 

1898. — The inspection of meats for animal parasites <Bul. 19, Bureau Animal 

Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., 101 pp., figs. 1-124. [W^] 
1901a. — Treatment for roundworms in sheep, goats, and cattle <Circular 35, 

Bureau Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash., 8 pp. [W'.] 
1901b. — Verminous diseases of cattle, sheep, and goats in Texas <17th Ann. 

Rep., Bureaii Animal Indust., U. S. Dept. Agric, Wash. (1900), pp. ;356- 

379. [W^] 

THE RECOGNITION OF THE PARASITES OF CATTLE. 

Some of the parasites of cattle may easily be recognized by the 
farmer, but others can be I'ecognized only by persons who are accus- 
tomed to Avork with a microscope. As a general rule, most of the 
internal parasites can be diagnosed only bj' examining a dead animal. 
If a number of animals are sick with apparently'' the same disease, it 
is best to dissect a dead animal carefully, examining all the organs 
one after the other. If necessary, kill one of the sickest animals and 
ascertain what the trouble is as soon as jDossible. 

External parasites may be found by examining the skin carefully. 
Tapeworm segments and stomach and intestinal roundworms may 
occasionally be found in the feces, thus aiding in the diagnosis of the 
trouble. In all cases, a careful postmortem is of more value than all 
symptoms combined in determining what particular parasitic disease 
is jDresent. Stockmen could learn much of value to them if they would 
make it a rule to dissect every steer that dies. 

PARASITES OF THE SKIN. 

Some of the external j)arasites, such as the adult flies, have wings, 
and are parasitic only at irregular intervals; other external parasites 
are with the cattle for certain periods in their life cj'cle; still others 
are more permanently parasitic. 

ADULT FLIES. 

The adult flies and mosquitoes which attack oattle attract our atten- 
tion immediateh', as the}" can be most easily seen. Numerous differ- 
ent forms come into consideration, and they injure cattle in different 
ways: (1) By tormenting and worrying the stock; (2) by sucking the 
blood; (3) by carrying disease. Many of these flies have no vernacu- 
lar names, but the hornfly {Hii^matohia serra(a), the buffalo gnats 
{SimuUu-m pecuarum^ S. occidentcde), turkej' gnats {S. meridionale), 
the gad, or breeze, fly [Tabanus atratus)^ heelflies {Hypoderma hovis, 
H. Uneata), stable flies {Stomoxijs calcitrans), and forest flies {Hippo- 
bosc(i) are known to most farmers.^' 

« Other species reported in America or in other countries as attacking cattle are 
the columbacz midge {SimuUum colnmhalczense) , Simnlium reptaim, tsetse fly 
{Glossina morsitans) in Africa, green-headed horsefly {Tabcmus lineola), T. 
bovinus in Europe, T. autumnalis, T. abdominalis, Chrysops ccecntiens, Pangonia 
neocaledoniea, Hcematopota pluvialis, Hippohosca equina, H. taurina, and others. 



478 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

The hornfly {Hicmatohia .ser?'a/a).— Hornflies irritate cattle, keep- 
ing them in a more or less constant state of worry, thus interfering 
■with their feeding; they also suck the blood, and it is possible that 
thej^ act as transmitters of diseases, such as anthrax and surra. The 
eggs are laid in the dung; the larva lives in the dung from four to six 
days, then pupates, and five to ten days later the adult fly issues. 

Remedies for liornjly. — Smear the cattle with equal parts of fish 
oil and tar or with axle grease ; spray with kerosene emulsion ; arrange 
a trap for the flies, as follows (from the Denver Field and Farm, April 
25, 1890): 

The flycatcher is a kind of covered pen or passageway through which the animal 
must walk to secure relief. A few feet from the entrance there is a cupola or 
dome in the roof of the passageway, made of glass, and arranged as a flytrap. 
Beyond this the passageway is in darkness. The animal walks through the 
machine, and just as it passes the dome and enters the darkened part a set of 
brushes sweeps off the flies, which naturally rise into the lighted dome, and the 
steer passes out at the other side free from flies. The flies are retained in the 
dome trap. The inventor has experimented with his machine, and finds that ani- 
mals soon learn the vakie of the machine, and know enough to walk through it 
when the flies begin to bite. The device is said to be patented, but a i^lan involv- 
ing the same principles has been in use among farmers for the destruction of horu- 
flies for a year or two past. 

-The larvai of the hornfly may be killed \>y spreading the dung out 
so that it will dry rapidly- or b}- sprinkling lime upon it. (See Riley & 
Howard, 1889, pp. 93-103; or Osborn, 1890, pp. 114-121.) 

Buffalo gnats la}' their eggs in clusters on stones, etc., a few 
inches above the surface of running water. The larval stages live 
in water, and the adults remain in brush or woods near the stream 
until the females fly out in swarms and attack cattle, horses, mules, 
etc. They enter the nose, mouth, and other openings of the body; 
they also bite the animals, and are believed by some persons to trans- 
mit anthrax. Sometimes the losses of stock are heavy. 

Remedies for buffalo gnats. — Smear the animals with an}- kind of 
stinking oil; burn smudges; keep animals housed. (See Osborn, 
189G, pp. 30-58.) 

LARVAL FLIES, GRUBS, WARBLES, SCREWWORMS. 

Some of the adult flies which visit cattle lay their eggs uj)on the 
stock, and the larval flies or grubs which develop from these eggs live 
as parasites. Two different kinds of grubs in particular come into 
consideration. 

BOTS, OR avarbles. — Two kinds of bots'^ {Hypoderma hovis and 
H. lineaia) infest American cattle. They represent the larval stages 
of the heelfl}-. The adult flies are about half an inch long and 
resemble l)ees somewhat in appearance. They appear in warm 

« The hot of another fly {Derviatobia noxialis) is repoi'ted in Central and South 
American cattle. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 479 

■sve.'ither and lay their cg:gs, especially in the oi^en, upon cattle, often 
frightening" the stock, making them nervous, and even causing them 
to stampede. It is maintained by some authors that the flies punc- 
ture the skin in laying the eggs; other authors deny this, maintain- 
ing that the cattle lick the eggs from the skin, so that the infection 
is through the mouth. Young bots are found in the wall of the 
esophagus; older bots appear under the skin at various parts of the 
bod}'. They are also occasionally found in other places, such as 
deeper in the back, in the spinal canal, etc. The bots are in the 
body by October or before, and they appear under the skin along the 
back by Januarv; here they grow until March, April, oi' May, form- 
ing the Avcll-known lumps. When matured, the bots work their way 
out, fall fi'om the cattle, burrow into the ground, and remain there 
as pupse for about <a month, when the adult fly issues. The adult fly 
does not bite. 

Bots weaken animals, cause a decrease of milk and flesh, and 
reduce the value of the hide. It is estimated that ox warbles result 
in a loss to this country of 635,000,000 to -§00,000,000 a year. 

Treatment for hots. — Early in the season (January) inject into the 
swelling (through the opening) a few drops of kerosene, using a 
machinist's oil can for the purpose; or press out the grubs and destroy 
them. Some" authors advise a coating of train oil along the back two 
or three times during the season or a mixture of " spirits of tar, car- 
bolic acid, sulphur, and linseed oil." (See Osborn, 1890, pp. 87-101.) 

SCREWWORMS. — Screwworms represent the larval stage of a fly« 
{Compsomyia macelleria) which has a blue body, red front to head, 
and three black lines on the thorax ; it lays 000 to -400 eggs in a few 
moments in wounds in the skin or in the nostrils, sheath, etc. In a 
few hours a young larva develops from each egg; this larva is a white 
maggot, or grub, without legs. It burrows into the flesh, eating any- 
thing it can find, and grows rapidly for about a week. When mature 
it wriggles out of the wound and burrows into the ground to transform 
into a pupa; after nine to fourteen days longer the adult fly issues 
from the pupa. 

Remedies for screicivorms. — Washing out the wound with clean 
water will l)ring out many of the screwworms; others may be picked 
out with an ordinary i^air of forceps or tweezers; the remaining may 
be killed by washing the wound with any of the carbolic sheei3 dips 
or disinfectants, or with a 2 per cent solution of carbolic acid, or with 
chloroform. Any of the substances maj^ be poured into the wound 
from a bottle or, better still, from an ordinary machinist's oil can. If 
a 2 per cent carbolic solution is used, the wound should be left open. 
Chloroform will burn the steer somewhat, but not dangerously, and 
the wound may be packed Avith oakum. Many ranchmen give the 

(' Sarcophaga magnifica i.s an allied form which attacks man, cattle, and other 
animals in Europe. 



480 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

wound a coating of tar to prevent further infection. (See Osborn, 
1896, pp. 123-1 33.) 

LICE. 

Two sucking lice, "blue lice" {Hxmaiopinus euryster7ms und H. 
vituli), and one biting louse, "little red louse" {Trichodedes scalaris), 
affect cattle. The eggs, or nits, are fastened to the hair, wiiile the 
insects themselves creep around on the surface of the body, causing 
considerable irritation b}^ their feeding, the amount of injurj'^ varying 
with the number of lice present. All three of these wingless insects 
are visible to the naked eye, and under the magnifying glass it will 
be noticed that one of the sucking lice has a short "nose," another 
has a long "nose," and the biting louse lias a broader head in propor- 
tion to the breadth of the body. 

Treatment for lice. — Dipping (see p. -481), spraying, or washing with 
carbolic or tobacco sheei) dijDS, or with kerosene emulsion; stavesacre, 
or the seeds of the common larkspur steeped in water, the animals 
being washed thoroughly with the liquid; sulphur or tobacco smoke; 
kerosene and lard smeared on the body; road dust or ashes. Fumi- 
gation, highly recommended hy Osborn, is practiced as follows (see 
Osborn, 1890, pp. 172-177, 209-210): 

Experiments with ftimigation have shown th's to be a method available when 
other plans are undesirable, though from the eqiiipment necessary, and the fact 
that it requires some time in api)lication , it may not prove of as general service as 
the washes. 

The method may be said in brief to consist of a tight box stall just large enough 
to admit the largest animals to be treated, one end having a close-fitting door to 
admit the animal , the opposite end a stanchion in which the animal is fastened , 
and covering the open part of this end, and made to fit tightly around the head 
just in front of the horns, is a canvas sack open at both ends, the inner one nailed 
to the stall and the outer with a running cord to draw it down to the animal's 
head, thus leaving the eyes and nose in open air. An oijening at the bottom of 
one side admits the fumigating substance, sulphur or tobacco, the latter appar- 
ently the most effective. In burning this we used a wire screen to spread the 
tobacco, placing this over a tin ti'ough containing a small qiiantity of alcohol. It 
shoiild be burned, however, with coals or by using a small quantity of kerosene. 
The time of exposure necessary will vary some with the strength of fumes, but 1 
to 2 ounces of tobacco and exposure of twenty to thirty minutes was found effective. 
Pyrethrum mjght be better even than tobacco. 



Tlie burrowing flea^' {SarcopsyUa penetrans) attacks cattle in Cen- 
tral and South America. (See Osborn, 189G, pji. 14.2-14-4.) 

JUTES, MANGE, ITCH, SCAB. ^1 

Cattle have four kinds of itch, or mange (see also jiarasites of the 
ear), as follows: 

(1) Common, or psoroplic, mange, caused by Psoroptes communis 

(tVermijjsylla alakurt is an allied form which attacks cattle and other animals 
in Turkestan. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 481 

hovis, a mite whicli is very similar to the one wliieh eauses sheep 
scab. This disease ma}^ be confused with lousiness, ringworm, or 
with an itchinji; due to various known or unknown causes. When- 
ever mange is i)i'esent the mites are present. They may be found by 
placing some of the scab on a i^iece of black or dark paper and heat- 
ing this in the sun or near a stove; after a while the little white mites 
may be seen crawling around. They are more distinctly seen with 
the aid of a magnifying glass. 

Treatnietitfur common mange. — (See below, p. 4:81; Salmon &, Stiles, 
1898; Hickman, 1002.) 

(2) Choriopfie manye, caused by Chorioptes symbiotes hoc is, is found 
chiefly at the base of the tail. 

Treatment for clioriopilc mange. — (See below, p. 481.) 

(0) Sarcoptic mange, caused by a mite {Sarcopte.s scahiei) which 
bores galleries in the skin, is rare in cattle. 

(1) Demodectie mange is quite common in some parts of the coun- 
try. It is caused by a parasite which lives in the hair follicles, pro- 
ducing pimples which render the hides of less value. 

Treatmnent for demodectie mange. — Its treatment is difficult and, as 
a rule, scarcely practicable. 

Trecdment of mange in cattle. — Preparations of mercury, arsenic, 
and other materials which are likely to poison the animals by absorp- 
tion in the skin or upon being licked should never be used on cattle. 
Any of the other dips used for sheep scab, such as tobacco and sul- 
phur, lime and sulphur, or the carbolic dips, may be used for mange 
on cattle. If a lime-and-sulphur dip is used, a solution (8 pounds 
lime, 24 pounds sulphur, 100 gallons water) as approved for sheep 
may be made. The question of injury to wool does not arise in deal- 
ing with cattle. The cattle should be dipped, not smeared. (See 
Salmon & Stiles, 1898; Hickman, 1902.) 

TICKS. 

There are twenty-five or more species'* of ticks reported for cattle, 
eight species being reported for the United States. They injure the 
animals in three ways: (1) By transmitting Texas fever (see j). 493; 
only one kind of tick — Boophilus annidatus — in this country trans- 



"The ticks reported for American cattle are: The castor-be.m tick {Ixodes 
ricinus), the Eiiropean dog tick (7. Iiexagonus) . the lone-star tick {Amhlijomma 
americanum) , the Texas-fever tick {Boophilus annulatua), the net tick {Derma- 
centor reticidaius), the American dog tick {D. elc tus), the chicken tick {Argas 
7niniatus) . ainl the car tick {OntitJiodoros Megniiii). Other species reiiorted for 
other than American cattle are: I.vodes pilosus, I. holocydus, I. algcruuHls. I. 
secqmlatus, Apoiioiiinui. trimaciilatum. Amblyomma cajeuncns \ A. triguttafum, 
A. macidatum, A. hebraenin, Hyalomma cegyptinin, Hcemaphysalis punctata, H. 
flava, n. longicornis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. bursa, R. punctatissimus, R. 
sinus, and R. occulatus. 

8267—04 31 



482 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

mits this disease) ; (2) by sucking blood ; (3) by making wounds where 
screwworms (p. 479) lay their eggs. There was no dip known which 
could be relied upon to kill the ticks without injuring the cattle. 
Recent experiments bj'^ this Bureau liave, however, demonstrated the 
efficac}', under projier conditions, of Beaumont crude petroleum for 
this purpose. (See par, 7, B. A. I. Order No. 121.) Some ranchmen 
feed sulphur to cattle to make the ticks fall and others feed proprietary 
preparations; some men report success and others report failure with 
these substances. (See Salmon & Stiles, 1902.) 

aUINEAWORM. 

The guineaworm {Draciineidus mediiiensis), a roundworm which 
may attain three feet in length, is said to occur in cattle. It is found 
in man, i)roducing swellings under the skin, but is not a native of the 
United States, 

PARASITES OF THE EAR. 



Various mites (the chicken mite {Dermanyssus gaUince), Gamasus 
auris, and others) are reported for the ear of cattle, and in some 
cases it is alleged that thej'^ produced serious trouble, 

TICKS. 

The spinose ear tick {Ornithodoros Megnini) is not infrequently 
met with in the ear of cattle in the Southwest, and serious results are 
attributed to it. 

Treatment for ear tick. — Pour some bland oil, such as cotton-seed 
oil, into the ear and the ticks will soon be forced to leave. (See 
Salmon & Stiles, 1901, pp. 408-414.) 

PARASITES OF THE EYE, 

. ROUNDWORMS. 

Roundworms occur in the anterior chamber of the ej^e and cause 
verminous ophthalmia. They are supposed to be young stages of 
Filaria cervina. (See p. 491.) The worms will be seen swimming 
around in the aqueous humor. Occasionall}' the disease m.Siy prevail 
in epizootic form. The source of infection is unknown. 

Treatment for roundworms in the eye. — A veterinarian should be 
called for treatment of this disease. 

X threadworm, described as Filaria lachrymalis, measuring about 
one-half to 1 inch in length, is found during summer and autumn on 
the surface of the eyeball or beneath the eyelids, where they may 
cause an inflammation. 

Ti^eatment for threadworms in the eye. — Separate the eyelids and 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 483 

wash the worms out with a watery dilution of tincture of camphor. 
Apply iodoform ointment if the condition is severe. 

PARASITES OF THE INTESTINAL TRACT. 

PARASITES OF THE MOUTU AND PHARYNX. 

Bloodsuckers, leeches {Hirudinea). — Bloodsuckers live in ponds 
and marshes and are occasionally taken in with drinking water. 
They attach themselves to various parts of the mouth and pharynx 
or wander to the nasal cavities, sucking the hlood of the animals 
they attack. They may also gain access to the larynx and render 
breathing difficult. The animals attacked grow anemic, and the 
membranes may become swollen and more or less congested. A 
bleeding at the nose or mouth may be noticed. 

Treatment for bloodsucker's. — Clip the worm in two with a pair of 
scissors; or wrap a towel around the haml, take hold of the leech, and 
pull it away; or remove it with a pair of forceps; or subject the ani- 
mal to fumigations with tobacco or tar. Introduce eels into the 
pond to rid it of bloodsuckers. 

PARASITES OP THE ESOPHAGUS. 

Threadworms {Gongylonerna scutatum) are found burrowing 
undulating tunnels in the wall of the esophagus. The parasites are 
about 2 to 5 inches long and about as thick as a hatpin. It is not 
known how they enter the bod}', and as yet no medical importance 
has been attached to them. They can be recognized only by cutting 
out the esophagus and turning it inside out. 

Treatment. — There is no treatment. 

BOTS, ox warbles {Hyjjoderma). — (See p. 478.) 

PARASITES OF THE STOMACH. 

In the stomach we find roundworms, flukes, and protozoa. 

Roundworms. — At least seven species of roundworms occur in the 
stomach of cattle. Two of these forms are of more importance than 
the other five, although these latter are by no means harmless para- 
sites, especially when present in large numbers. All seven of these 
worms have approximately the same life history. The eggs they lay 
pass out in the droppings. After a few hours to a few days, according 
to the temperature, each egg develops a small embryo, which escapes 
from the feces, crawls around on the moist ground or in the water, 
feeds and undergoes certain changes, and is then swallowed by the 
cattle in their fodder or drinking water. (See Stiles, 1901, pp. 356- 
379.) 

(a) The encysted stomach worm {Hczmcnickus Ostertagi) is one- 



484 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 




















G 







*%) e> 



Fig. 2.— Piece of foxu'th stomach with 
encysted stomach worms. (After Os- 
tertag, 18! (t, p. 5, fig. 1.) 



encysted stomach 
outlook at present 
medical treatment, 
may be prevented. 



eighth to one-half an inch long and as thick as a very fine hair. It 
lives in the ivall of thr fourth stomach in small cysts (fig. 2), but it 

may escape and lie free in the stom- 
ach. Heavy infections cause a thick- 
ening of the stomach wall, so that the 
infected cattle are unable to digest 
their food. "Scours" sets in, "pov- 
erty jaw" develops, and many of the 
cattle die. 

Treat Die lit for 
worm. — I see no 
for a successful 
but the disease 
(See p. 474.) 

(h) The twisted wire worm {Hce^noii- 
chus contortus) grows to be about an 
inch in length and is about as thick as a small hairpin. In appear- 
ance (fig. 3) it is striped like a barbers pole. It 
lives free in the fourth stomach, and heavy infec- 
tions cause serious injury to stock, often resulting 
in death. "Scours" and "poverty jaw" develop, 
and the infected animals refuse food, become run 
down in condition, and finally die. (For prevention, 
see p. 474.) 

Treatment for twisted ivireworm. — Drench with a 
1 per cent solution of creosote, of which one dose is 
usually sufficient, or with four to six doses of gasoline 
the doses are as follows: 



Fig. 3.— Twisted 
wireworms ( male 
and female) of 
the fourth stom- 
ach. Natural size. 
Original. 

For cattle 



Calves - 

•Yearling steers 

2-year-olds and above 



With 1 per cent creosote. 



With gasoline. 



5 to 10 ounces - ■-.- i ounce. 

1 pint - - - ' 1 ounce. 

1 quart 1 to li ounces. 



(c) Other roundworms {Strongylus Curticei, S. oncophorus, 8. Har- 
keri, S. retortieformis, S. fiticollls) which occur in the stomach of 
cattle appear to be secondary in importance when compared with the 
two just mentioned, but they can not be ignored as disease producers. 

Treatment for Strongylus Curticei, etc. — Treatment is the same as 
for the twisted wireworm. 

Flukes. — At least six or seven different species « of flukes belong- 
ing to the family Paramphistomidfe are reported for cattle {Bos 

"These flukes are Paramphistomum cervi, P. calicophortim (in Africa), P. coty- 
lophoram (in Togo), Stephanopharynx compactus (in Africa), Gastrothyla.v sjm- 
tio.-iits (in Africa), G. Cobholdii (in Africa). Some other forms occur in allied 
cattle, and possibly also in the common species. (See also Stiles, 1898, pp. 64-67.) 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 



485 



tannics), but the exact position in the bodj' where these parasites 
occur is not always given. One species (fig. 4), identified originally 

as the conical fluke {AiiqjJiisfomd — Paratn- 
phistoniinn cervi) has been found, fastened to 
the stomach wall, in the first stomach of North 
American cattle. Most authors look upon 
these worms as harmless parasites, while other 
authors attribute to them a fatal disease. 
They are nearly half an inch long, and can 
easily be seen upon oi)ening the stomach. If 
treatment should be found necessary, proba- 
bly creosote (p. 484) would be satisfactory; cat- 
tle should be placed on their side in order to 
have ^he medicine pass into the first stomach. 
Protozoa. — A large number of ciliated 
protozoa'' are found in the stomach, espe- 
ciall}' in the first stomach, of cattle. These 
are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and at present it can 
not be stated that they are of any special medical importance. 




Fio. 4.— Conical auiphistonies 
(.4 mph istoma cervi) in the ru- 
men; tubercles from which 
the parasites hare loosened. 
(After Railliet, 1893, p. 376, 
fig. 249. ) 



PARASITES OF THE SMALL INTESTINE. 

Roundworms. — One large roundworm and several smaller species 
are reported for the intestine of cattle. They all have a life history 
more or less similar to that described for the twisted strongyle (p. 484) 
and are taken in with the fodder or water. The adults are occasion- 
ally found in the feces. We may divide them, from a practical stand- 
point, into three groups: 

(1) Nodular disease is caused hy a small worm {OEsophagostoma 
cohunblaninn), which burrows into the wall of the intestine, and 
around which the nodules form. 

Treatment for nodular disease. — There is no outlook for a successful 
medicinal treatment of this disease. (For prevention, see p. 474.) 
(See Curtice, 1800, pp. 105-17:3.) 

(2) Eel worms {Ascaris vitidorum) are 6 to 12 inches long and about 
as thick as an ordinary lead pencil. If pi-esent in large numbers, 
they may cause inflammation of the mucous membrane, colic, and 
even rupture of the intestine. They also give an unpleasant taste to 
the meat. 

Treatment for eel worms. — Guittard recommends the administration 
of 8 to 12 grams (2 to 3 drams) of rectified empyreumatic oil in a 
mucilaginous emulsion, followed the next morning by a purgative of 



« Thes 3 minute parasites have no vernacular names, but technically they are 
known as Biitschlia lanceolata, B. neglecta. B. parva, Dasytriclia ritmi»antium, 
^Hplodiniuvi bursa, D. detitafnin, D. rostvatum, Entodinium bursa, E. caudatum, 
E. minimum, E. rostratum, Isotricha i7itestinalis, I. jirostoma, Ophryoscolex cat- 
taneoi, O. inermis, and O. Purkynjei. 



486 DISEASES OF CATTLE. ' 

sulphate of soda (1 to 1^ pounds). The worms will be expelled in 
bundles during the day. 

(3) Several forms of smaller worms, an inch or less in length, are 
found in the small intestine; but their presence in living cattle can 
not be diagnosed by the farmer. If small worms are found in the 
feces, they may come from the stomach or from the intestine. Prob- 
ably one of these small intestinal worms (the hookworm, Uncinaria 
radiata) is of more medical importance than the others.'^ This lives 
just below the stomach, in the narrow gut, and is about an inch 
long. 

Treatment of cattle for these small worms in the bowels will prob- 
ably rarely be necessary, although unusual and very heavy infections 
of any one of them Avill apparently have more or less effect upon the 
hosts. When necessary, give powdered thymol in large doses (200 
grains or more). 

Flukes. — Only one fluke C^^AmpMstoma tuberculatum'^) is reported 
for the small intestine of cattle, and this species is not known to occur 
in North America. (See also p. 484.) 

Adult tapeworms. — Eight species of tapeworms* (fig. 5) have been 
reported for the small intestine of cattle, but only two si)ecies are known 
to affect American cattle. The exact source of infection is unknown, 
but the young stages are probably contained in some invertebrate 
(insect, snail, or worm) which is accidentally swallowed in the food. 
Tapeworm segments are occasionally found in the droppings. It is 
probable that the effects of adult tapeworms upon grown cattle are very 
slight and that in most cases they may be ignored from a practical 
standpoint. On calves they will perhaps have slightly more effect. 

Remedies for tapeworms. — Most of the tapeworm remedies advised 
for cattle are of little value. Hutcheon claims good results with 
arsenic, li to 3 grains, for calves. 

Protozoa. — Several microscopic protozoa have been reported for 
the intestine of cattle, but it is rare^ if ever, that farmers are able to 
recognize them, as this involves the use of the microscope. 

(1) An ameba, similar to the form found in amebic dysentery in 
man, is said to occur in cattle. 

(2) Gair has reported ^^Coccidium oviforme" {Elmer ia Stiedct^) for 
the intestine and liver of cattle. 

Red dysentery is reported from Switzerland and attributed to 
Eimeria Sfiedce, which is a common parasite of rabbits. It occurs 
in both housed and in pastured animals, and is most prevalent from 
July to the end of September, occurring on the hillsides more than in 



« The other small species of roundworms reported for the small intestine are 
Hcemonchfis vo>itorti(s (p. 484), Strongylus Curticei (p. 484), S. oncophorus (p. 
484), S.filk'ollis (p. 484), S. voitricosns, OEsophagostoma inflatum. 

'>Mo»i'-zia alba, M. Bencdeni, M. e.rpatisa, M. pilanissima, f Stilesia centri- 
jmnctata, ? S. globipunctata , and ? Thysanosoma Giardi. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 



487 




^^ 



^-5i. 



-Sli 




f-^ 






the valleys. The animals have a day or two of severe diarrhea, after 
which blood is passed. The feces are fluid, stinking, and at first 
abundantly mixed with mucus, but from the second or third day 
brownish; they are like a mixture of dung and urine. At the height 
of the disease (after four to eight days) the animals suffer from fre- 
quent straining of the rectum, and pass small quantities of excre- 
ment almost entirely composed gray-colored shreds of mucus. To 

these are added clots of blood 
from the size of a i)ea to that 
of a hen's egg, or even as large 
as the fist. After each evac- 
uation severe straining fol- 
lows, and even prolapse of 
the rectum. The bloody dis- 
charges last from two to three 
days, but the bloody diarrhea 
may last from two to three 
weeks longer. The appe- 
tite is good and the animals 
are very thirsty, but remain 
sunken at the flanks; the 
hair becomes very dry; the 
mucous membranes pale ; 
the ears, horns, and legs cold ; 
emaciation follows very rap- 
idl3^; a very striking sj^mj)- 
tom is the early sinking of 
the eyeballs into their sock- 
ets; temperature rises; the 
animals show signs of gen- 
eral w^eakness; the gait be- 
comes slow and uncertain; 
milk secretion diminishes; 
gradually the appetite is lost ; 
peristalsis of the intestine 
lessens; intestinal murmurs 
cease. The course of the 
disease is variable, some- 
times all symptoms disap- 
pear after five to ten days, 
and In other cases the diarrhea lasts weeks or even months. The 
death rate is about 10 per cent of the animals affected. 

Treatment for red dysentery. — It will be found a difiicult, perhaps 
impossible, matter to kill the parasites. Keep up patient's condition 
as well as possible until the parasites run their course. (For preven- 
tion, see p. 474.) 




fc 



J= 



3: 



Pig. .''.—Portions of an adult flat moniezia {Mtmiezia 
pla ucsima). (After Stiles & Hassall, 1893, PI. I, fig. 1.) 



488 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



(.'3) A rather indefinite form, described as Cytos2oerrnium Zilrnii, is 
reported to have resulted in the death of four calves. 

(4) An intestinal protozoon has been described by Dr. Tlieobald 
Smitli, formerl}^ of the Bureau of Animal Industry. It may be tem- 
porarily named Pfeifferella hovis. At present it is not supposed to 
have any medical si.s:nificance. (See Smith, 1893.) 

All tliree of these parasites undoubtedly enter the body with the 
fodder or watei*. 

PARASITES OF THE BLIND GUT, OR CrCUM. 

Wliipwornis are found in the cecum, but their presence can not be 
diagnosed in the living animal, except by aid of a microscope or by 
finding the worms in the droppings. No serious disease in cattle is 
attributed to them. 

Treatment for ivhijoworms. — No satisfactory treatment is known. 

Nodular disease. — (See p. 485.) 



PARASITES OF THE LIVER AND GALL BLADDER. 

Larval tapeworms, adult flukes, and protozoa are i-eported for the 
liver of cattle. None of the diseases caused can be treated success- 
fully with drugs. 

LARVAL TAPEWORMS (HYDATIDS, OR BLADDER WORMS). 

Two kinds of larval tapeworms occur in the liver and other parts of 
the body of cattle. The farmer will not be able to recognize their 
presence in the living animal, but can easily recognize them when a 




Fig. 6.— Portion of hog s liver imestea with Echinococcus hydatid, natural size (original). 

dead aiiiiiial is cut up. Both parasites rei^resent the larval stage of 
tapeworms which live in dogs, wolves, and other canines; and cattle 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 



489 




Fig. 7.— The thin-necked 
bladder worm ( Cysiiccr- 
ciis tenuicoUitt), with 
head extruded from 
body, from cavity of 
a steer, natural s'ze 
( original ) . 



become infected by swallowing the tapeworm eggs which dogs scatter 
on the pastures. Both of these parasites maybe prevented by kill- 
ing wolves, coyotes, all stray and ownerless dogs, 
and by keeping one's own dog free from tape- 
worms. 

(1) Hydatids {Echinococcus jfolymoryhus) are 
cystic worms ((ig. 6), varying from the size of a 
pea to that of a child's head; they contain a 
liquid of much the same appearance as water, 
and form large tumors, or "lumijs," in the liver, 
lungs, or other parts of the body. 

Treatinent for Jtydatids. — There is no medici- 
nal treatment. When such parasites are found 
they should be bui-ned, and under no circum- 
stances should the organs containing them be 
fed to dogs. This larval parasite can develop 
in man also. (See Stiles, 1898, pp. 113-125.) 

(2) Tlte thin-necked bladder tvorms {Cysticercus tenaicollis, fig. 7) 
may be as small as a pea or as large as a saucer. They contain only 
one head each, and are found more particularly attached to the 

omentum, although specimens are also 
met with in the liver and other parts of 
the bod}'. 

Treatment for thin-necked bladder 
ivornis. — Medical treatment is impossi- 
ble. (See Stiles, 1898, pp. 90-108.) 

Fig. 8.— The 
common FLUKES, 

liver fluke 

hepaVi c(i ')' Several d ifferent species of liver flukes 

natural size occur in the gall ducts of the liver of 

(original). ^..^^Hq^ ^ud two forms«— the common 
liver fluke {Fasciola hepatica, fig. 8) and the large 
American fluke {F. magna, fig. 9) — are known to 
affect North American herds. They are taken in 
with the fodder (fig. 10) and water, esj)eciall3" when 
cattle feed on marshy pastures, and may produce 
a serious, often fatal, disease, more especially in 
younger animals. The symptoms are somewhat 
similar to those produced by worms in the stomach. 
The first symptoms are generally overlooked, the 
di-ease not attracting attention until the appetite 
is diminished; rumination becomes irregular, the animals become 
hidebound, and the coat dull and staring. The staring coat is due to 





Fig. 9.— The large 
American fluke 
{Fasciola magna), 
natural size (orig- 
inal). 



« Other species reported for cattle are Fasciola gigantica, and the lancet fluke 
{Dicroccelium lanceatum) . 



490 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 




the contraction of the muscles of the hair follicles. The visible 
mucous membranes become pale, eyes become dull, there is run- 
ning at the eyes, and the animal gradually becomes emaciated. As 

the disease advances the 
milk supply is lessened, 
fever appears, there is 
generally great thirst, 
but the appetite almost 
ceases ; edematous swell- 
ings appear on the belly, 
breast, etc. ; diarrhea at 
first alternates with con- 
stipation,. but finally be- 
comes continuous. The 
disease lasts from two to 
five months, when the 
most extreme cases suc- 
cumb. 

Most of the German 
cattle are said to be in- 
fested with liver flukes, but even when a large number are present 
the nourishment of the cattle is not disturbed. Thickening of the 
gall ducts, so that a so-called "Medusa's head" forms on the surface 
of the liver toward the stomach, appears in even well-nourished ani- 
mals; even in cases of a cirrhosis of the liver it is seldom that any 
effect upon the cattle's health can be noticed, and so long as a portion 
of the liver tissue, about twice the size of the fist, remains intact the 
nourishment of the animal may be comparatively good. It is rare 
that one sees a generalized edema in slaughtered cattle as a result of 
fluke invasion, and even in the heaviest infections of young cattle 
only emaciation is noticed. 

Treatment. — Medicinal treatment is unsatisfactorj\ The disease 
may be prevented to a considerable extent by giving animals plenty 
of salt, and by introducing carp, frogs, and toads into infected dis- 
tricts; these animals destroy the young stages of the parasite and feed 
upon the snails which serve as intermediate hosts. (See Stiles, 1898, 
pp. 29-55.) 

PROTOZOA. 



Fig. 10.— Portion of a grass stalk with three encapsuled 
cercarisB of the common liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica). 
X 10. (After Thomas, 1883, p. 291, fig. 13.) 



Eimeria Stiedce. — (See p. 486.) 

PARASITES OF THE SPLEEN AND PANCREAS. 



FLUKES. 



Flukes {DicrocoRJiuni pancreatic um) are reported for the pancreas 
and body cavity, but not for this country. The farmer will be unable 
to diagnose their presence in the living animal. 

Treatment. — There is no treatment. (See Stiles, 1898, pp. 57-58.) 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 491 

LARVAL TAPEWORMS. 

Larval tapeworms (see pp. 488, 493, 494) are occasionally found in 
the spleen and pancreas. 

ROUNDWORMS. 

Roundworms {Spiroptera reticulata) occasionally occur between the 
pancreas and the stomach, but their presence can not be recognized 
in the living animal. 

Treatment. — There is no treatment. 

PARASITES OF THE KIDNEYS AND BLADDER. 
LARVAL TAPEWORMS. 

(See pp. 488, 493, 494.) 

KIDNEY WORMS. 

Kidney worms, or giant strongyles {Dioctophyme renale), are rare 
in cattle. Diagnosis is difficult. 

Treatment. — The treatment is surgical. A veterinarian should be 
called. 

PROTOZOA. 

Protozoa, belonging to the group coccidia, are alleged to occur in 
the bladder of cattle, but their presence can not be recognized with- 
out a microscope. 

PARASITES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY, THE MESENTERY, AND THE 

LYMPHATIC GLANDS. 

THREADWORMS. 

Threadworms (see above, pp. 483, 493, Filaria cervina). Several 
undetermined roundworms are reported as encysted in the lym- 
phatic glands, but no importance is attached to them. 

LARVAL OESTODES. 

(See above, under "Parasites of the liver and gall bladder, p. 488.") 

FLUKES. 

(See above, under "Parasites of the liver and gall bladder, p. 488.") 

TONGUE WORMS. 

Tongue worms {Linguatula serrata) are found free in the abdom- 
inal cavity or encysted in the mesenteric glands. They are flat, 
worm-like arachnoids about one-fifth of an inch long. The adult 
stage lives in the nasal passages of canines (dogs, wolves, etc)., which 
scatter eggs around on the ground. These eggs are swallowed by 
cattle and other animals. The presence of these parasites in live 



492 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

cattle can be recognized only in ease specimens are found wandering 
out of the intestinal canal in the feces. 
Treainienf. — There is no treatment. 

PARASITES OF THE MOUTH, NOSE, PHARYNX, AND LARYNX. 

ROUNDWORMS. 

In the larynx of cattle slaughtered in Nha-Trang (Annam) there 
have been found roundworms {SyngciTnus Jaryngeus) similar to the 
gape Avorm of chickens. 

BLOODSUCKERS. 

(See p. 483.) 

PARASITES IN THE AIR TUBES OF THE LUNGS. 
THREADWORMS. 

Verminous bronchitis in cattle is caused bj' threadworms (Mefa- 
stronyylu.s inicrurus) about 2 to 4 inches long and about as thick 

as a hatpin. The i:)arasitcs live in 
the bronchial tubes (fig. 11), often 
large numbers of them being pres- 
ent. The early stages of the d isease 
escape notice, biit in later stages 
the cattle cough, especially at night 

Fig. 11.— Isolated (male and female) thread- or UpOU being driven. For the fiiV- 

size (original.) "^^r the Only practical and positive 

method of diagnosis is to cut out 
the lungs of a dead animal and examine the tubes. Young cattle 
suffer more than old animals. The life history of the parasite is not 
established, but the present indications are that the worm passes part 
of its life in earth worms. 

Treatment. — Numerous different methods of treatment have been 
highly recommended, especially the use of intratracheal injections, 
but I have failed with every method I have tried. I can recommend 
only "good food, and house the animals at night." (For fuller dis- 
cussion, see Salmon, 180G, and Stiles, 1901, pp. 35G-379.) 

A closely allied worm {Strongylus inilmonaris) has been described 
by Ercolani, and von Linstow has reported Metastrongylus filar ia for 
cattle. 

PARASITES OF THE LUNG TISSUE. 
FLUKES AND HYDATIDS. 

(See above, under "Parasites of the liver and gall bladder," p. 488; 
for tongue worms, see p. 401.) 

PROTOZOA. 

A microscoi)ic protozoon in the lungs of a young steer was referred 
by Brusaferro to Balantidium coll, which is \evy common in the intes- 
tine of hogs, but doubts arise as to the correctness of the diagnosis. 



Diseases of Cattle 



Plate li 




Haines del. after Mar 



us BIEN & CO.t 



Verminous Bronchitis. 



ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE. 



493 



PARASITES OF THE CHEST CAVITY. 
THREADWORMS. 

Threadworm.s [Filaria cervina) occur in both the chest and the 
abdominal cavit\', but no serious trouble has been attributed to them. 
{See also "Parasites of the ej'e," p. 482.) 

Treatment. — There is no treatment. 

PARASITES OF THE BLOOD. 



BLOOD FLUKES. 



Blood flukes {Schistosoma hovis) cause bloody urine. These para- 
sites are about one-half to three-fourths inch in length and live in the 
lai'ge veins. They are not known to occur in North American cattle. 
(See Stiles, 1898, pp. 58-64.) 



PROTOZOA. 



Texas fever (p. 481) is caused by a protozoon named Plroplasma' 
higeminum, and several other diseases of cattle, such as sui-ra and 
nagana (fortunately not present in North America) are caused by 
parasites belonging to the genus 
Trypanosoma. (For Texas fever, 
see Smith & Kilborne, 1893; for 
surra, see Salmon & Stiles, 1902.) 



PARASITES OF THE MUSCLES, CON- 
NECTIVE TISSUE, AND FAT. 

LARVAL TAPEWORMS, MEASLY BEEP. 




«^f-^ ■> -/ry ^^'A^Y' '■'':,. ■cV: -^;. 





Small larval tapeworms {Cysti- 
cerciis hovis) about the size of a 
pea are found in the muscles, es- 
pecially the muscles of the jaw, 
tongue (fig. 12), and heart of cat- 
tle. These parasites represent the 
larval stage of the common large 
tapeworm of man. Cattle become 
infected from fodder or water 
which is contaminated by the 
feces of persons harboring the 

adult tapeworm. It is rare that an infection can be recognized in 
live cattle, but occasionally this is possible by examining the under 
surface of the tongue. 

Treatment. — Treatment is impossible. 

Prevention. — Do not place human feces where they can contaminate 
the fodder or water. (See Stiles, 1898, i^p. 71-89.) 



Fig. 12. — Section of a beef tongue heavily in- 
fested with beef measles, natural size (orig- 
inal). 



494 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

ROUNDWORMS. 

Tricliiniasis is very rarely present in cattle, and can be practically 
ignored when dealing with these animals. It is contracted by eating 
meat containing the larval stage of the parasite {Trichinella spiralis). 

A peculiar roundworm {Gnafhostoma hispiduin), which is parasitic 
in the stomach of hogs, has been reported once from the fat of cattle. 

PROTOZOA. 

Elongate protozoa, belonging to the group Sarcosporidiida, are com- 
mon in the skeletal and heart muscles of cattle, but are not known to 
produce any serious symptoms. 

PARASITES OF THE BONES. 
LARVAL TAPEWORMS. 

These are rare in the bones of cattle. (See p. 488, under "Parasites 
of the liver and gall bladder.") 

PARASITES OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL COLUMN. 
LARVAL TAPEWORMS. 

Bladder worms {Co&nurus eerehralis) inhabit the brain and cause 
"gid," or turn-sick, but I have never seen any specimens of this 
parasite collected in the United States. These cysts represent the 
larval stage of a tapeworm found in dogs. 

Treatment. — The only treatment is by cutting out the parasite, and 
this operation should be done by a veterinarian onlj-. (See Stiles, 
1898, pp. 108-112.) 

GRUBS. 

Grubs are occasionally found in the spinal canal or in the brain 
cavity of the skull of animals. The recognition of their presence in 
living animals is practically impossible. 



MYCOTIC STOMATITIS OF CATTLE.'^ 

By John R, Mohler, A. M., Y. M. D., 

Chief of Pathological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry 

INTRODUCTION. 

Regularly, during the summer and fall of the past five years, 
numerous letters have been received by this Bureau relative to the 
existence of a disease affecting the mouths and feet of cattle in cer- 
tain Eastern and Central Western States. These reports have been 
unusually frequent this season and indicate that the malady has made 
its appearance in the Southwest, where it has caused much alarm 
among the stockmen owing to its similarity to the foot-and-mouth 
disease of Europe and to the fear that the contagion of this latter 
disease had spread to them from the recent outbreak in New England. 
The disease, which is to be discussed under the name of mycotic 
stomatitis, has been carefully investigated by this Department on 
various occasions, and it is with the view of giving the results of these 
clinical investigations as well as to assert its noninfectiousness and 
to differentiate it from the virulent foot-and-mouth disease, which it 
so closely simulates, that this article is prepared. 

NAME AND SYNONYMS. 

The name stomatitis signifies that there is present in the affected 
animals an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth. 
This inflammation, which quickly develops into ulcers, is one of the 
principal and most frequently observed lesions. Mycotic stomatitis 
refers to that form of stomatitis which results from eating food con- 
taining irritant fungi. Thus the name not only suggests the cause of 
the disease, but also indicates the location of the earliest and most 
prominent symptoms. Other names which have been applied to this 
disease by different writers are sporadic aphthae; aphthous stomatitis; 
sore mouth of cattle; sore tongue; benign, simple, or noninfectious 
foot-and-mouth disease; mj^cotic aphthous stomatitis; and sporadic 
stomatitis aphthosa. 



a This article was also issued as Circular No. 51 , Bureau of Animal Industry. 
The necessity for this information appeared too late to allow of its inclusion in its 
proper place in this volume. 

495 



496 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

CHARACTER OF THE DISEASE. 

JVIj^cotlo stomatitis is a sporadic, or noninfectious, disease which 
affects cat. . ; of all ajj^es that are on pastnre, but more especially milch 
cows. It is characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the 
mucous membrane of the mouth, producing salivation and inappe- 
tence, and secondarily affecting the feet, which become sore and 
swollen. Superficial erosions of the skin, particularly of the muzzle 
and of the teats and udders of cows, may also be present, with some 
elevation of temperature and emaciation. 

CAUSE. 

This disease, as its name indicates, results from the eating of forage 
containing fungi or molds. It is pi'obable that more than one fungus 
is involved in the production of this disease, but no particular species 
has been definitely proved to be the causative factor. Several 
attempts have been made by the writer to determine the exact cause 
and also to transmit the disease to other animals b}' direct inocula- 
tion, but with negative results. Suspicion, however, has been directed 
bj' various observers to the Uromyces and the red and black rusts that 
occur on clovers. These fungi cause very severe irritation of the 
lining membrane of the mouth, producing sometimes a catarrhal, at 
other times an aphthous, and occasionally an ulcerous stomatitis. 
The fungus of rape, etc. {Polydesmus excitiosas), is very irritating to 
the mouths and feet of cattle, causing severe inflammation and in some 
instances producing sjanptoms that have been mistaken for foot-and- 
mouth disease. The fungi (Penicillium and Puccinia) found on 
grasses have also been credited with the production of stomatitis. 
The fact that this disease disappears from a locality at a certain time 
and reappears at irregular intervals would suggest the probability 
that certain climatic conditions were essential for the proi^agation of 
the causative fungi, since it is well known that the malady becomes 
prevalent after a hot, diy period has been followed bj' rain, thus 
furnishing the requirements necessary for the luxuriant development 
of molds and fungi. Owing to this fact the disease is observed in one 
locality during one season and in an entirely different section another 
year, but reappears in the former center when favorable conditions 
prevail. In this way the affection has occurred at irregular intervals 
in certain sections of both the United States and Canada. 

SYMPTOMS AND LESIONS. 

Among the first symptoms observed in mycotic stomatitis are ina- 
bility to eat, suspension of rumination, frequent movements of the lips 
with the formation of froth on their margins, and in some cases a 
dribbling of saliva from the mouth. There is a desire to eat, and fre- 
quent attempts to take food are made, but prehension is very difficult. 



MYCOTIC STOMATITIS OF CATTLE. 497 

If, however, food is placed on llie back of the tongue it is readily 
masticated and swallowed. If the mouth is examined at this time it 
will be found red and hot, and exceptionally small blisters will be 
seen, which, however, quickly become eroded and develop into active 
ulcers varying in size from one-eighth to 1 inch in diameter. Where 
several ulcers have coalesced a large and irregularly indented patch 
is formed. These erosions are most frequentlj^ found on the gums 
around the incisor teeth, on the dental pad, inside the lips, and on 
the tip of the tongue, but they also occur on the cheeks, interdental 
space, and dorsum of the tongue. The ulcers have a hemori-hagic 
border, a depressed suppurating surface, and contain a brownish or 
yellowish colored debris, which is soon replaced by granulation tissue. 
As a result of this sloughing of the tissues and the retention of food 
in the mouth, a very offensive odor is exhaled. The muzzle becomes 
dry and parched in appearance, which condition is shortly followed 
by erosions and exfoliations of the superficial laj'er of the skin. 
Adherent brownish crusts and scabs form over the parts, and similar 
lesions are seen around the nostrils and external surface of the lips. 

In some cases there are associated with these alterations a slight 
swelling and painfulness in the region of the pasterns, at times affect- 
ing the fore feet, at other times the- hind feet, and occasionally all 
four feet. In a few cases the swelling may extend above the fetlock, 
but it has never been observed above the knee or hock. The skin 
around the coronet may occasionally become fissured and the thin 
skin in the cleft of the foot eroded and suppurated, but without the 
formation of vesicles. As a result of these feet lesions, the affected 
animal may assume a position with its back arched and the limbs 
propped under the bodj^ as in a case of founder and will manifest 
much pain and l&meuess in walking. If it lies down the animal 
shows reluctance in getting up and, although manifesting no incli- 
nation to move about, when forced to do so there is more or less stiff- 
ness and a tendency to kick or shake the foot as if to dislodge a foreign 
body from between the claws. 

In some outbreaks the milch cows have slight superficial erosions on 
the teats which at times extend to the udder. The cracks in the skin 
are filled with serum and form brownish colored scabs. The teats 
become tender and the milk secretion diminishes; in some cases it dis- 
appears. A similar tendency toward the formation of fissures and 
scabs on the skin of the neck and shoulder has manifested itself in a 
recent outbreak in Texas, and this feature was likewise noticeable in 
the disease when it occurred in Maryland and Virginia in 1889. 

In mild eases, only the mouth lesions may be observed, or these 
alterations may be associated with one or more of the other above- 
described symptoms, but in severe cases where there is a generalized 
mycotic intoxication one animal may show all these alterations. 

8267—04 32 



498 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Wlien the disease is well developed the general appearance of the 
animal is one of great lassitude, and it either stands off by itself with 
hind feet drawn under the body and its fore feet extended or it 
assumes a recumbent position. Owing to the inability to eat and to 
the general systemic disturbance present, the animal loses flesh ver}^ 
rapidly and becomes greatly emaciated in the latter stages of the dis- 
ease. The temperature and pulse are somewhat increased, the former 
two or three degrees, the latter to from 75 to 90 beats per minute. 
The fever is not lasting, and these symptoms are soon modified. The 
animal has an anxious look, and in a few cases there is gastro-intes- 
tinal irritation, the feces being thin, of a dark color, and of an offen- 
sive Oder. 

PROGNOSIS AND MORTALITY. 

Mycotic stomatitis is not a serious disease, and in uncomplicated 
cases recoveries soon follow the removal of the cause and the applica- 
tion of the indicated remedies. In such cases complete restoration 
may take place within one week. In mild outbreaks a large percent- 
age of the animals will recover without treatment, but that the disease 
is fatal is shown by the fact that animals which develop an aggravated 
form of the affection succumb if not treated. In such animals death 
occurs in six or eight days, but the mortality in the serious outbreaks 
thus far investigated has been less than 0.5 per cent. The course of 
this disease is irregular and runs from seven to fifteen days, the aver- 
age case covering a period of about ten days. 

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. 

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 

In examining a case of mycotic stomatitis it is important not to mis- 
take it for foot-and-mouth disease, which has appeared in this coun- 
try on four occasions only, always near a seaport, and which does not 
exist in the United States at the present time. This may be easily 
accomplished by taking into consideration the fact that in the con- 
tagious foot-and-mouth disease there is a rapid infection of the entire 
herd, as well as of any hogs and sheep that may be on the premises. 
It is also readily transmitted to neighboring herds by the spread of 
the infection from diseased animals, but it never occurs spontaneously. 
The characteristic lesion of foot-and-mouth disease is the appearance 
of vesicles containing serous fluid in the mouth and upon the udder, 
teats, heels, and coronary bands of the affected animals. Drooling is 
profuse, and there is a peculiar smacking sound made by sucking the 
affected lips. 

Mycotic stomatitis occurs sporadically on widely separated farms, 
affecting only a few animals in each herd, and the lesions produced 
consist of erosions without the typical vesicular formations of foot- 
and-mouth disease. The failure of the vesicles, if any appear, to 



MYCOTIC STOMATITIS OF CATTLE. 499 

spread extensively in the mouth, the absence of these blisters on 
other portions of the body — notably the teats and udder, and charac- 
teristically the feet — together with the absence of infection in the 
herd, and the inability to transmit the disease to calves by inocula- 
tion distinguish between this affection and foot-and-mouth disease. 
Scab formation on the muzzle and nostrils is not i^rcsent in foot-and- 
mouth disease. The erosions of the mouth are not so extensivp and 
they heal more rapidly in mycotic stomatitis. The swelling of the feet 
and stiffness of the animal are also more marked in mycotic stomatitis. 

ERGOTISM. 

The lesions resulting from ergotism may be differentiated from those 
of mycotic stomatitis by the lack of ulcerative eruptions in the mouth 
and by the location of the lesions at the tips of the ears, end of the 
tail, or upon the lower part of the legs, usually below the knees or 
hocks. The lesions of ergotism do not take the forms of ulcers or 
festers, but the end of the limb affected is diseased "in toto" and the 
eruption extends entirely around the limbs, followed soon afterwards 
by a distinct line of demarcation between the healthy skin above and 
the diseased below. The absence of suppurating sores between the 
claws and on the mucous membrane of the mouth, the knowledge that 
the lesion upon the limb in question extends uninterruptedly^ around 
it, and the presence of ergotized seeds in the hay or grain fed the 
animals should point conclusively to a diagnosis of ergotism. 

FOUL FOOT. 

In foul foot, or ground itch, of cattle, the inflammation of the skin 
and toes usually affects but one foot. It begins as a superficial 
inflammation, followed by sloughing, ulceration, and the formation of 
fistulous tracts which may involve the tendons, bones, and joints. 
The mouth remains unaffected, and the presence of the disease may 
be traced to filth and poor drainage. 

NECROTIC STOMATITIS. 

In necrotic stomatitis (calf diphtheria) there is a formation of yel- 
lowish cheesy patches in the mouth without any lesions of the feet or 
udder. It affects sucking calves chiefly, and is caused by the Bacillus 
neerophorus. 

TREATMENT. 

The treatment of mycotic stomatitis should consist in first removing 
the herd of cattle from the pasture in which they have been running. 
The affected animals should, if it is possible, be brought to the barn 
or corral and fed on soft, nutritious food, such as bran mashes, ground 
feed, and gruels. A bucket of clear, cool water should be kept con- 
stantly in the manger, so that the animal maj' drink or rinse the 



500 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

mouth at its pleasure, and it will be found beneficial to dissolve 2 
heaping tablespoonfuls of borax or 1 tablespoonful of potassium 
chlorate in each of the first two buckets of water taken during the 
day. If the animals are gentle enough to be handled, the mouth 
should be swabbed out daily with antiseptic washes, such as a 2 per 
cent solution of carbolic acid or of creolin, or a 1 per cent solution of 
lysol/)r of permanganate of potash, or 1 i^art of hydrogen peroxide to 
2 parts of water. This should be followed by astringents, such as 
one-half tablespoonful of alum, borax, or chlorate of potash j^laced on 
the tongue. Probably a more satisfactory method of administering 
the antiseptic treatment to a large number of animals would be to 
mix thoroughly 2 tablespoonfuls of pure carbolic acid every morning 
in a quart of bran mash and give to each affected animal for a period 
of five days. Range cattle may be more readilj^ treated by the use of 
medicated salt placed in troughs accessible to the animals. This salt 
may be prepared b}^ pouring 4 ounces of crude carbolic acid upon 12 
quarts of ordinary barrel salt, after which they are thoroughly niixed. 
The lesions of the feet should be treated with a 2 x^er cent solution of 
carbolic acid or of creolin, while the fissures and other lesions of the 
skin will be benefited by the application of carbolizod vaseline or zinc 
ointment. If the animals are treated in this manner and carefully 
fed the disease will rapidly disappear. 



INDEX. 



Abdomen — Page. 

and womb, inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment 220 

dropsy affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment 48 

of calf, dropsy, descriiition and treatment . _ 177 

W( mnds. causes, symptoms, and treatment 45 

Abdominal cavity, kinds of parasites affecting 491 

Abortion- 
contagious 165, 472 

contagious, prevention and treatment 169 

description 161 

noncontagious, causes . . 161 

noncontagious, treatment 168 

Abscess — 

bacteria causing 2o5 

of ear, treatment 354 

of lung, description 97 

of navel, cause and treatment 246 

orbital and periorbital, symptoms and treatment 351 

Abscesses, treatment 294 

Absorbents, description 72 

Acariasis, reference .... 331 

Achorion schoaleinii, fungus causing Tinea favosa 332 

Acids — 

mineral, poisoning, descrijjtion and treatment 59 

poisoning, description and treatment. 59 

vegetable, poisonous, description and treatment 60 

Aconite poisoning, description and treatment 64 

Actinomycosis — 

description, prevention, and treatment 427-436 

in relation to public health 434 

of jawbones, description and treatment 18 

symptoms and treatment , 21 

Adenoma, description 311 

Administration of medicines, chapter by Leonard Pearson 9-13 

Afterbirth, retained, causes, symptoms, and treatment 216 

Agriculture, Department, literature published on aniraal parasites of cattle. 475 
Air— 

or gas under the skin, description, symptoms, and treatment 333 

tubes of lungs , parasites affecting , description and treatment 492 

Albumen in urine, description and treatment 119 

Albuminuria, description and treatment. . .' 119 

Alkalies, poisoning, description and treatment 60 

501 



502 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 

Amaurosis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 348 

Amph istoma tuberculatum of small intestine 486 

Anaphrodisia, cause, prevention, and treatment 146 

Anasarca of the skin, causes, symptoms, and treatment 329 

Anesthesia, uses in operations 285 

Aneurism, description 82 

Angioma tumor, description 310 

Animal — 

parasites of cattle, chapter by Ch. Wardell Stiles 473-494 

parasites of cattle, literature published by the Department of Agricul- 
ture 475 

products, poisonous, description and treatment 67 

Anthrax — 

cause, symptoms, etc 437-443 

in man, description 443 

symptomatic , description, cause, treatment, etc 4 41 4 48 

Aphtha — 

in young calves, description and treatment 259 

l)arasite (Saccharoviyces dblicans) , cause 260 

Aphthous— 

fever. {See Foot-and-mouth disease.) 

stomatitis, reference 495 

Apoplexy — 

cerebral, description and treatment 104 

description and treatment 104 

parturient, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

Appetite, depraved, description, causes, and treatment 31 

Aqueous humor of eye, description 341 

Arsenic poisoning, description , symptoms, and treatment 56 

Arteries — 

and veins, wounds, description and treatment 80 

obstruction, description and treatment 82 

Ascaris vitulonmi, description and treatment 485 

Ascites — 

causes, symptoms, and treatment 48 

description and treatment 177 

Asepsis in surgical operations .. 285 

Aseptic periostitis, description and treatment 263 

Asphyxia electrica, symptoms and treatment 108 

Atkinson, V. T.— 

chapter on " Bones: Diseases and accidents " 261-284 

chapter on ' ' Poisons and poisoning " 53-69 

Atrophy, description 79, 125 

Auscultation, definition 89 

Bacillus — 

cyanogens, parasite causing blue milk 239 

tuberculosis, causing tiiberculosis 398 

Back, sprain, causes and treatment. 267 

Bacteria — 

causing abscess 235 

definition • 358 

Bacterium bovis septicum, causing hemorrhagic septicemia 389 

Ball of eye, description 340 



INDEX. 503 

Page. 

Balls as method of administering medicines. 10 

Bee and wasp stings, description and treatment 68 

Benign tumors, description 307 

Big jaw. (St-e Actinomycosis.) 

Bites of snakes 333 

Blackleg, description, cause, and treatment 444-448 

Blaclctjuarter. (See Blackleg.) 
Bladder — 

and kidneys, parasites affecting 491 

eversion, description and treatment 214 

or rectum, full, as obstruction to parturition 176 

palsy of neck, cause and treatment 137 

paralysis, causes and treatment 126 

protozoa affecting 491 

rupture, symptoms 214 

spasms, description and treatment 125 

stone, symptoms and treatment 139 

worms affecting brain, treatment 494 

worms, description _. 473 

worms, description and treatment ■ 488 

worms, thin-necked, description and treatment 489 

Bleeding — 

description 290 

description and treatment _ 80 

from lungs, description and treatment 96 

from navel, cause and treatment 245 

from nose, cause and treatment 90 

from womb, description, symptoms, and treatment 210 

Blisters, water, symptoms and treatment 328 

Bloating, causes, symptoms, and treatment. 26 

Blood- 
clots on walls of vagina, descrij^tion and treatment . . 216 

coagulated, under vaginal walls after calving, treatment T . . . 176 

description and influence of food 72 

flukes (Schistosoma bovis) , note 493 

letting, description 290 

parasites affecting, different kinds 493 

protozoa affecting 493 

vessels, functions 71 

vessels, heart, and lymphatics, diseases, chapter by W. H. Harbaugh.. 70-80 
Bloodsiickers — 

description _," 473 

description and treatment 483 

reference 492 

Bloody- 
milk, cause and treatment 239 

urine caused by blood flukes 493 

urine, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

Blue disease, cause 250 

Blue lice (H(ematopinus enrysternus and H. vitali), description 480 

Blue milk, cause and treatment 239 

Boils, causes, symptoms, and treatment 328 



504 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Bones— Page. 

brolfen, description of kinds and treatment 268-279 

diseases and accidents, cliapter by V. T. Atkinson 261-284 

dislocations, description and treatment 279 

face, fracture, description and treatment . 274 

larval tapeworms affecting _ 494 

luxations, description and treatment . 279 

manner cf nourishment ZQl 

number and description ... 261 

parasites affecting 494 

shape, classes . ^62 

Bony tumor, description and treatment 315 

Boopli ilus — 

annidaiKs, Texas fever tick 481 

boins, cattle tick 464 

Bots— 

description 474 

description and treatment 478 

reference .-. 483 

Bowel hernia, description and treatment : 40 

Bowels — 

diseases affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment 36-45 

obstniction resulting from invagination, symptoms and treatment 37 

twisting and knotting, symiitoms, i)ostmortem appearance, and treat- 
ment . 37 

Brain — 

and its membranes, inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment -. 101 

and spinal column, parasites affecting, treatment 494 

bladder worms affecting, treatment 494 

cavity and spinal canal, grubs affecting 494 

Ccenurus cerebralis affecting, treatment 494 

concussion, cause, symptoms, and treatment 104 

congestion , description and treatment 104 

description . 100 

tumors, description 110 

Breach — 

at navel, symptoms and treatment ._- _ 248 

of uterus, cause and treatment . . , 158 

Breathing, suspended in young calves, discussion 244 

Breeze fly ( Tabanus atratus) of cattle 477 

Bronchial tubes, parasites affecting . _ . . 477 

Broncliitis — 

description, symptoms, and treatment 92 

verminous, cause and treatment 492 

verminous, description, symptoms, treatment, and prevention 97 

verminous, parasite {Strongylus micrurus) , cause 97 

Btiffalo gnats — 

descripti(m and remedy 478 

{Simulium peciiamin, S. occidental'e) . 332, 477 

Bull, ringing, description 287 

Burns and scalds, causes and treatment -. 333 

Calculi — 

coralline, pearly, green (metalloid), white, ammonio-magnesium , silice- 
ous, oxalate of lime, gravel, descriptions - 135 



INDEX. 505 

Calculi — Continued. Page. 

forms in different situations - 135 

in prepuce, or sheath, treatment - - --. 141 

renal, description and treatment — 136 

•urethral, description and treatment - 136 

urinary, classification 134 

urinary, description and causes. 128 

urinary, effect of different feeds 130 

Calculvis — 

blocking teats, treatment 241 

prevention 138 

vesical, or urethral, symptoms and treatment 139 

Calf- 
attention necessary at birth -.. 244 

diphtheria, description, symptoms, and treatment 448, 453 

dropsy of abdomen , description and treatment 177 

gas, cause of swelling, treatment 178 

general dropsy, cause and treatment 178 

monstr((sities, descriptions, causes, and treatment 179-205 

muscles, rigid contraction, cause and treatment 178 

slinking, description 161 

tumors affecting, description and treatment 179 

Calves^ 

congenital imperfections, kinds 259 

indigestion affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment 34 

newborn, acute scouring, description, prevention, and treatment 257 

pyemic and septicemic inflammation, symptoms and treatment 248 

white scour affecting 472 

yoimg, aphtha, or thrush, affecting, description and treatment 259 

young, constipation affecting, cause and treatment 250 

yovmg, diseases affecting, chapter by James Law 244-260 

young, rickets affecting, description and treatment . _ - - 260 

young, tilcers in mouth, causes, symptoms, and treatment 20 

Calving — 

dropping and palsy following, description and treatment 231 

retarded by nervousness 176 

symptoms -- - 170 

Cancer, description and treatment 316 

Capsule of eye, description 342 

Capsules as method of administering medicines. -- 10 

Carbolic-acid poisoning, description and treatment 61 

Carbuncle, description 443 

Carcinoma, description and treatment 316 

Caries of the teeth, description .... - 18 

Carpus, description and treatment 278 

Cartilage of ear, necrosis affecting - 356 

Caruncula lachrymalis of eye, description 343 

Casein concretions blocking teats, cause and treatment .. 240 

Casting the withers, cause and treatment - 211 

Castration — 

of the female, description of operation - 301 

of the male, description of operation 300 

Cataract, causes, symptoms, and treatment 348 

Catarrhal fever, infectious, description, symptoms, and treatment 453-456 



506 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Catarrh — Page. 

description, symptoms, and treatment 90 

gastro-intestinal , causes, symptoms, and treatment 32-34 

malignant, description, symptoms, and treatment .-. 453-456 

nasal, description, symptoms, and treatment 90 

Cattle- 
animal x)ai"asites aifecting, chapter by Ch. "Wardell Stiles 473-494 

animal parasites affecting, literature published by the Department of 

of Agriculture 475 

farcy, description and treatment 473 

fever, Southern, description, symptoms, etc 458-471 

infectious diseases, chapter by D. E. Salmon and Theobald Smith _ _ _ 357-473 

Northern, immunization against Texas fever, manner 468 

parasites, recognition 477 

parasitic diseases, prevention 474 

rabies affecting, description, symptoms, etc 394-397 

rules for treatment of parasitic diseases . . . . 474 

tumors affecting, chapter by John R. Mohler 304-319 

Cecum, parasites affecting 488 

Cerebral apoplexy , description and treatment 104 

Cerebro-spinal division, description - 99 

Cestodes — 

adult, description - - -- 473 

larval, description 473 

larval, reference - 491 

Chapped teats, caiise and treatment -. - 240 

Charbon— (St'e aZso Anthrax.) 

cause, symptoms, etc 437-443 

sjTnptomatique, description, cause, and treatment .- -.. 444-448 

Chest, dropsy affecting, description and treatment - 97 

Chicken mite ( Dcrman ijssxs gaUince) affecting the ear 483 

Choking, symptoms and treatment 24, 393 

Ch orioptes si/mbiotcs bovis, mite causing chorioptic mange 481 

Chorioptic mange , location and treatment 481 

Choroid coat of the eye, description 343 

Chrondroma tumor, description and treatment 314 

Chronic tympanites, cause and treatment . _ 28 

Coal-oil poisoning, description and treatment 61 

Coccidimn oviforme of intestine and liver 486 

Ccenurus cerebraUs affecting brain, treatment 494 

Coital exanthema, description, symptoms, and treatment 393 

Cold in the head, description, symptoms, and treatment. 90 

Colic, causes, symptoms, and treatment 33 

Common man.-.e, desci'iption and treatment 480 

Compsomyia vutcellerla , description and remedy 479 

Concussion of the l^rain, cause, symptoms, and treatment . - - - 104 

Congenital imperfections in calves, kinds 259 

Congestion — 

and inflammation of testicles, description and tref^tment . . 149 

of brain, description and treatment 104 

of liver, description , sympto-iis, and treatment 45 

of spinal cord, description, symptoms, and treatment 107 

of udder, description and treatment 231 



INDEX. 507 

Conjunctivitis — Page. 

causes, symptoms, and treatment 344 

infections catarrhal, symptoms, treatment, and prevention 344 

Constipation — 

cause and treatment 38 

of yoiing calves, cause and treatment 250 

Contagious — 

abortion, causes 1 65 

abortion, jirevention and treatment 169 

inflammation of the udder, description, prevention, and treatment 234 

mammitis, description, prevention, and treatment 234 

pleuro-pneumonia, cause, incubation, and symptoms 367 

pleuro- pneumonia, definition and history .- 364 

pleuro-pneiimonia, postmortem appearance 370 

pleuro-pneumonia, prevention and treatment 373 

scouring, acute, in newborn calves, description, prevention, and treat- 
ment 257 

Contused or lacerated wounds, description and treatment 297 

Contusions of lips, wounds, and snake bites of mouth, symptoms and treat- 
ment 16 

Copper poisoning, description and treatment 58 

Cornea — 

of eye, description 341 

ulcers, cause, symptoms, and treatment . . 346 

Corneal dermatoma. description and treatment 349 

Corneitis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 345 

Cough, examination 87 

Cowpox, description, symptoms, and treatment 237,425 

Cow, pregnant, hygiene 156 

Cramps of hind limbs during pregnancy, cause 158 

Cranium , fracture, description and treatment 275 

Creeps, description, symptoms, and treatment 264 

Croupous enteritis, description, symptoms, and treatment 37 

Cud, loss, description 30 

Cuts , barbed- wire , description and treatment 299 

Cyanosis, cause 79, 250 

Cysticercua — 

bovis, description and prevention 493 

ten uicollis, description and treatment 489 

Cysts — 

and tumors, description 308 

dental , description and treatment 318 

dermoid and sebaceous, description and treatment 330 

dermoid, description and treatment 318 

extravasation, description 317 

mucous, description and treatment 319 

parasitic, description 317 

proliferation, description and treatment . _ . 319 

serous, description and treatment 318 

Dandruff, causes, symptoms, and treatment 329 

Deformities of the hoof, causes and treatment 338 

Dehorning, description 288 

Demodectic mange, description and treatment 481 

Dental cysts, description and treatment 318 



508 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 
Department of Agriculture, literature published on animal parasites of 

cattle 475 

Dcrmanyssus gaUince, affecting ear . 483 

Dermis, dc-scription 320 

Dermoid — 

and sebaceoiis cysts, description and treatment 330 

cysts, description and treatment 318 

Diabetes — 

insipidus, cause and treatment 116 

mellitus. description __. 120 

Diarrhea — 

and dysentery, causes, symptoms, and treatment {see also Gastro-intes- 

tinal catarrh) -. 36 

causes, symptoms, and treatment 34 

causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment 251-257 

Dickson, William, and William H. Lowe, chapter on surgical operations. 285-308 

Dicroai'Un in pancreaticum , note -. 490 

Dietetic poisons, description 65 

Digestive organs, diseases affecting, chapter by A. J. Murray 14-52 

Dilatation and hypertrophy of heart, description 79 

Dioctophyme renalc, treatment 491 

Diphtheria of calf, description, cause, treatment, etc 448-453 

Disinfection, methods 361 

Dislocation of eyeball, cause and treatment 353 

Dislocations of bones, description and treatment 279 

Distention of rumen with food, description and treatment 29 

Diuresis,, caxises and treatment 116 

Dntcniu'idits inedinensis, note 482 

Dropping following calving, description and treatment 231 

Dropsy — 

general, of calf, cause and treatment 178 

of abdomen, causes, symptoms, and treatment 48 

of abdrmen of calf, description and treatment 177 

of chest, description and treatment 97 

of hind limbs and between thighs, during pregnancy, cause 158 

of membranes of fetus, description and treatment 159 

of navel, description and treatment 249 

of womb, description and treatment 158 

Dysentery — 

and diarrhea, causes, symptoms, and treatment {see also Gastro-intes- 

tinal catarrh) 36 

red, description, cause, and treatment 486 

Dyspepsia, causes, symptoms, and treatment - 32 

Ears- 
abscess affecting, treatment 354 

cartilage, necrosis affecting 356 

diseases affecting, chapt r by M. R. Trumbower 354-356 

enchrondroma, description and treatment 356 

f 1 )reign bodies lodging in , symptoms and treatment 355 

frostbite, symptoms and treatment 355 

f tingoid growths, catise and treatment 354 

internal inflammation, symptoms and treatment 354 

lacerations, cause and treatment . -- 356 



INDEX. 509 

Page. 
Ears — Continued. 

parasites affecting, treatment 482 

scurfy, cause and treatment 355 

spinose tick affecting, note .-. 482 

Echinococcus polyinorphus, treatment . 489 

Ectropion of the eyelid . description and treatment 350 

Eczema — 

description, causes, symptoms, and treatment .- 325 

epizootic, reference 380 

Edema- 
causes, symptoms, and treatment 329 

malignant, descrii)tion, symptoms, and treatment ... 456 

Eel worms {Ascaris vitnlorinn) , description and treatment 485 

Eimeria stieda' — 

causing red dysentery, description and treatment 486 

of intestine or liver 486 

reference 490 

Elephantiasis, description — 329 

Emphysema, description and treatment 96. 333 

Enchondroma of the ear, description and treatment 356 

Encysted stomach worm, description and treatment 483 

Endocarditis, description and treatment 78 

Enemata, uses and methods 11 

Enlargement and inflammation of the haw, description and treatment 353 

Enteritis — 

causes, symptoms, postmortem ai^pearance, and treatment 37 

croupous, description , symptoms, and treatment 37 

gastro. causes, symptoms, and treatment 35 

simple. (See Gastro-enteritis. ) 

Entropion of the eyelid, description and treatment 350 

Epidermis, description 320 

Epilepsy, description, cause, and treatment . 105 

Epistaxis, cause and •treatment 91 

Epizootic aphtha, reference 380 

Ergotism, description and treatment 66 

Eruption, vesicular, of genital organs, description, symptoms, and treat- 
ment 392 

Erythema; description, causes, and treatment 323 

Esophagotomy , description and treatment 293 

Esophagus, parasites affecting, description 483 

Estriasis. reference 331 

Eversion — 

of bladder, description and treatment 214 

of eyelid, description and treatment 350 

of womb, cause and treatment - 211 

Extrarasation cysts, description 317 

Extra-uterine gestation, description and treatment . 159 

Eye— 

and its appendages, diseases affecting, chapter by M. R. Trumbower. 340-353 

aqueous humor, description 341 

capsule, description 343 

caruncula lachrymalis affecting _. 343 

choroid coat, description 342 



510 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Eye — Continued. Page. 

cornea, description 341 

cornea, ulcers affecting, cause, symptoms, and treatment 346 

description 840 

foreign bodies penetrating, treatment 350 

lens, description 343 

muscles, description 342 

parasites affecting, treatment 348, 482 

puncta lachrymalia, description 343 

retina, description __.._. 342 

roundworms affecting, treatment 482 

sclerotic membrane, description 341 

vitreous humor, description . 342 

Eyeball — 

description . 340 

dislocation, cause and treatment 353 

hairy tumor affecting, description and treatment 349 

Eyelashes, inversion, treatment , 349 

Eyelids — 

description •_ 343 

ectropion affecting, description and treatment 350 

entropion, description and treatment . .- 350 

eversion, description and treatment 350 

inversion, description and treatment 350 

laceration, cause and treatment . 350 

tumors affecting, description and treatment 350 

Face bones, tracture, description and treatment 274 

Farcy in cattle, description and treatment . 472 

Fasciola — 

hepatica, description and treatment 489 

magna, description and treatment . _ _ * 489 

Fatty degeneration of the heart, description ... 79 

Feed, character, analyses, effect on milk 252-253 

Feeding and foods, character, effect on digestive organs -.". 14 

Fetlock— 

below, fracture, treatment 279 

sprain, causes and treatment 266 

Fetus- 
developing outside womb, description and treatment _ . 159 

membranes, dropsy affecting, description and treatment 159 

prolonged retention, description and treatment 160 

Fever- 
milk, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

parturition, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

Texas. {See Texas fever.) 

Southern cattle, description, symptoms, etc 458^71 

splenetic, description, symptoms, etc 458-471 

Fibroma — 

interdigital, description and treatment . 338 

tumor, description and treatment 313 

Fibrous periostitis, description and treatment 263 

Filaria. — 

cervina , cause of verminous ophthalmia, treatment 482 

cervina, of lungs, note 493 



INDEX. 511 

Filaria — Continued. Page, 

eervina, of lymphatic glands 491 

cervina, worm found in the eye 348 

lachrijmalis, treatment 483 

ocidi, description and treatment 348 

Fissure of the wall of hoof, description and treatment 338 

Fistula, milk, de-icript.'on and treatment 242 

Fleas — 

burrowing, note . 480 

note 480 

reference . , 332 

Flies- 
adult, and mosquitos, injurious to cattle 477 

adult, definitions 477 

and mosquitos 332 

forest, aif ecting cattle 477 

larval, note 478 

Flooding from the womb, description and treatment 210 

Flycatcher, description 478 

Fly, Spanish, poison, description and treatment 69 

Fluke— 

{Amphistoma tuberculatum) of small intestine 486 

disease . 489 

Flukes- 
adult, of liver, note 488 

and hydatids affecting the lungs, reference 492 

description .- . _ . 473 

Dicroccelium x>ancreaticum, note 490 

different kinds 484 

of blood, note 493 

of liver, description and treatment 489 

reference 491 

Foods and feeding, character, effect on digestive organs 14 

Foot- 
diseases affecting, chapter by M. R. Trumbower 335-339 

foiil, causes, symptoms, and treatment 336 

soreness, description and treatment 335 

Foot-and-mouth disease — 

benign, simple, or noninfectious 

description, cause, symptoms, etc 380-387 

Foot rot, causes, symptoms, and treatment 336 

Forage, insects on. description of poisonous effect . 68 

Forest flies {Hippohosca ) . affecting cattle 477 

Foul in foot, causes, symptoms, and treatment 336 

Founder, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment _ _ 335 

Fractures — 

below hock and fetlock , description and treatment 278 

compound, comminuted, and complicated, general symptoms 269 

description of different kinds and treatment 288-279 

general treatment - - 269 

of face bones, description and treatment 274 

of hip point, causes and treatment .. 277 

of horns, description and treatment 274 

of limbs, description and appliances for treatment ... 278, 279 



512 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Fractures — Continued. Page. 

of lower jaw, cause and treatment . 275 

of metacarpus and metatarsus, description and treatment 278 

of pelvis, description and treatment 175, 276 

of ribs, cause and treatment 278 

of spinal cohimn . description and treatment 75 

of verteln-a, description and treatment 275 

special, descriptions and treatment 268 

Frostbites — 

of ears, symptoms and treatment ' 355 

treatment '•'^'■^ 

Fungi, poisonous, description of poisoning 67 

Fungoid growths of the ear, cause and treatment 354 

Fungus hematodes — 

cause and treatment 352 

description 316 

Furunculus, causes, symptoms, and treatment — 328 

Gadfly ( Taban its atratus) of cattle . . 477 

Gall bladder and liver, parasites affecting, kinds and treatment 488 

Gamciftus auris affecting the ear • 482 

Ganglionic division of the nervoiis system 101 

Gangrenous septicemia, symptoms and treatment 456 

Garget, description and treatment 231 

Gas — 

in calf, cause of swelling, treatment 178 

or air under the skin, sympto:ns and treatment 333 

Gastro-enteritis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 35 

Gastro-intestinal catarrh, causes, symptoms, and treatment 32, 34 

Generative organs— 

diseases, chapter by James Law 144-209 

discussion . - . . 1 44 

Genital organs, vesicular eruption affecting, description, symptoms, and 

treatment 392 

Gestation, extra-uterine, description and treatment 159 

Glands of the skin, location and use 321 

Globe of the eye. description 340 

Gnailiostoina h ispidnm of stomach of hog 494 

Gnats, buffalo — 

description and remedy 478 

(Simtilium pccuanim, S. occidentale) 332, 477 

Goiter, cause, description, symptoms, and treatment - - 311 

Qongiilonema scutatimi affecting esophagus 483 

Gonorrhea, description and treatment - -- l'^2 

Gravel — 

description and cause -- 128 

effect of different feeds 130 

in prepuce, or sheath, treatment - -- --- 141 

Grubs— 

description 474 

in the skin 331 

note-. 478 

of brain and spinal canal, note 494 

Guinea worm {Dracuncidus medinensis) , note 482 



INDEX. 513 

Gullet— Page, 

and pharynx, diseases affecting, description, symptoms, and treatment, 21-26 

wonnds and injuries, cause and treatment 26 

Gut. blind , parasites affecting . 448 

Gut tie, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment 43 

Ha'in (I tohia serra ta — 

description and remedy 477 

of cattle 382, 477 

Hceniatojnnus enrysternus and H. vituli, description and treatment 480 

Hcemonchus — 

contortus-, description and treatment 484 

ostertagi, description and treatment 483 

nematodes, fungus, description 316 

Hemoptysis, description and treatment 96 

Hair — 

balls, cause 31 

concretions 31 

description 320 

Harbaugh, W. H.— 

chapter on " Diseases of heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics "' 70-83 

chapter on ' ' Diseases of the nervous system " ' 99-1 10 

Haw, inflammation and enlargement, description and treatment 353 

Health, public, relation of actinomycosis 434 

Heart- 
blood vessels, and lymphatics, chapter by W. H. Harbaugh 70-80 

description 70 

dilation and hypertrophy , description 79 

fatty degeneration, description 79 

how to examine 74 

injiuy by foreign bodies, description, symptoms, and treatment 75 

misplacement, description 79 

muscles, protozoa (Sarcosporidiida) affecting ' 494 

palpitation, description 74 

riipture, description 79 

valves, diseases affecting, symptoms and treatment 78 

Heat prostration , symptoms and treatment 1 05 

Heaves, description and treatment 96 

Heelflies ( Hypoderma hovis) of cattle 477 

Heel, ulcerations, causes, and treatment 337 

Hemaglobinuria, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

Hematuria, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

Hemoptysis, description and treatment 96 

Hemorrhage, treatment 80 

Hemorrhagic septicemia, causes, symptoms, etc 389-392 

Hepatitis, symptoms and treatment 46 

Hernia — 

of bowels, description and treatment 40 

of rennet, description and ti'eatment 40 

of rumen , description and cause 39 

of stomach, description and treatment 40 

of uterus, cause and treatment . 158 

peritoneal, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment 43 

8267—04 33 



514 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Hernia — Continued. Page. 

umbilical, description, causes, and treatment 41 . 248 

ventral , description and causes 39 

Hip2)obosca of cattle 477 

Hip- 
point, fracture, causes and treatment 277 

sprain, cause and treatment 267 

Hirudinca , description and treatment 483 

Hock- 
below, fracture, description and treatment 278 

description and treatment 278 

Hogs, stomach worms affecting 494 

Hoof— 

def omiities, causes and treatment 338 

loss, causes and treatment 336 

split, description and treatment - . 338 

wall, fissure affecting, description and treatment 338 

wounds and pricks, treatment 338 

Hornfly ( Hcematobia sevrata ) , reference 332, 477, 478 

Horns, fractiire, description and treatment 274 

Hoven, causes, symptoms, and treatment 26 

Hydatids — 

and fliikes affecting the lungs, reference 492 

description and treatment 488 

treatment 489 

Hydrocephalus, description and treatment 176 

Hydrophobia, (fifee Rabies.) 

Hydrothorax, description and treatment 97 

Hygiene of pregnant cow 156 

Hygromata, description and treatment 317 

Hyperplasia, reference 304 

Hypertrophy— 

and atrophy, description 125 

and dilatation of the heart, description 79 

Hijpoderma — 

bofis, and H. lineata, reference , 477 

reference 483 

Immunization of Northern cattle against Texas fever, manner 468 

Impetigo, description, causes, and treatment . 327 

Incised wounds, description and treatment 295 

Incontinence of urine, cause and treatment 127 

Incubation period of infectious diseases 359 

Indigestion — 

caused by distension of rumen with food, description and treatment 29 

causes, symptoms, and treatment 33 

from drinking cold water, causes, symptoms, and treatment 33 

in calves, causes, symptoms, and treatment 35 

in young calves, causes, symptoms, and treatment 250 

Induration — 

of mouth of womb, description and treatment 173 

of tongue, symptoms and treatment ... 21 

Infectious — 

aphtha, reference .. 380 

catarrhal conjunctivitis, symptoms, treatment, and prevention 344 



41 



INDEX. 515 

Infections— Continued. Page. 

catarrhal fever, description, symptoms, and treatment 453-456 

diseases, difference in symptoms and lesions 358 

diseases, general discussion 357 

diseases of cattle, chapter by D. E. Salmon and Theobald Smith 357-473 

diseases, period of incubation -.. 359 

diseases, treatment 360 

ophthalmia, reference 473 

Inhalation of medicines, manner 13 

Inflammation — 

and congestion of testicles, description and treatment- 149 

and enlargement of the haw. description and treatment -_ 353 

contagioiis, of the udder, description, prevention, and treatment 334 

of brain and its membranes, causes, symptoms, and treatment 101 

of internal ear, symptoms and treatment 354 

of kidneys, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment 131 

of liver, symptoms and treatment 46 

of mucous membrane of mouth, symptoms and treatment 19 

of navel veins, description, symptoms, and treatment 346 

of sheath and penis from bruising, prevention and treatment 151 

of sheath, causes and treatment 149 

of spleen, description 47 

of iidder , desci*iption , symptoms , and treatment 331 

of urachus, causes and treatment 345 

of urethra, description and treatment 153 

of vagina, causes and treatment 219 

of veins, description and treatment 83 

of womb, causes, symptoms, and treatment 330 

pyemic and septicemic, of joints of calves, symptoms and treatment 348 

traumatic, of the stomach, cause, symptoms, and treatment 36 

Inflammatory diseases of the skin, description, symptoms, and treatment- 333-339 

Insect larvae, description 474 

Insects — 

adult, description 474 

on forage, description of poisoning 68 

Intercostal muscles, rheumatism affecting, description and treatment 98 

Interdigital fibroma, description and treatment 338 

Intestinal — 

tract, parasites affecting, treatment 483 

worms, reference 39 

Intestine, small, parasites affecting, treatment 485 

Intestines, roundworms affecting, kind and treatment 485 

Intussusception, causes, sjanptoms, postmortem appearance, and treatment. 37 

Invagination, cause of obstruction of bowels, symptoms, and treatment 37 

Inversion — 

of eyelashes, treatment - 349 

of eyelid, description and treatment 350 

Iris, description 341 

Itch— • 

reference 1 331 

scab, mites , and mange, description and treatment 480 

Itching, cause and treatment 323 

I.vodes hovis, reference -- 333, 464 



516 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 

Jaundice, descinption, symptoms, and treatment 45 

Jaw- 
big. (.S'ee Actinomycosis. ) 

lower, fracture, cause and treatment 275 

lump. (See Actinomycosis.) 
lumpy. (S'ee Actinomycosis.) 

poverty, caused by twisted wire worms . . _ 484 

Jawbones, actinomycosis affecting, description and treatment 18 

Joint-ill, description, symptoms, and treatment 248 

Kelis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 331 

Keratitis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 345 

Kidney — 

of ox, description _ 114 

parasites affecting, discussion 125 

stone in, description and treatment 136 

worms, treatment ^ 491 

Kidneys — 

and bladder, parasites affecting, kinds 491 

inflammation, desci'iption, causes, symptoms, and treatment 121 

tumors affecting, description 125 

Knee — 

below, fracture, description and treatment 278 

fracture, description and treatment 278 

tumors, description and treatment 317 

Knotting and twisting of bowels, causes, symptoms, and treatment 37 

Labor pains before relaxation of passages 173 

Lacerated wounds, description and treatment 297 

Laceration of the eyelid, cause and treatment. 350 

Lacerations — 

and ruptures of the vag'na, description and treatment 215 

of the ear, cause and treatment 356 

Lachrymal gland of the ej^e, description 343 

Laminitis, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment 335 

Larva?, insect, description 474 

Larval cestodes — 

cestodes, description , 473 

cestodes, reference . 491 

flies, note 478 

tapeworms, description 473 

tapeworms, description and treatment 488 

tapeworms, description and prevention 493 

tapeworms in spleen and pancreas 491 

tapeworms of bones, reference - - 494 

tapeworms of liver, note 488 

tapeworms, small, of muscles, description and prevention 493 

Laryngitis, cause and treatment 91 

Larynx, roundworms affecting 492 

Laurel poisoning, description and treatment 66 

Law, James — 

chapter on ' ' Diseases following parturition " 210-243 

chapter on " Diseases of the generative organs" 144-209 

chapter on " Diseases of the urinary organs" 111-143 

chapter on " Diseases of young calves" 244-260 



INDEX. 517 

Page. 

Lead poisoning, description, symptoms, und treatment 57 

Leeches, description and treatment. 483 

Lens of the eye, description 343 

Leucorrhea, symptoms and treatment . 219 

Lice — 

bhie {Ha'>nato2)inus eurysteriius and H. vituli), description and treat- 
ment 480 

description of two kinds and treatment 480 

Lightning stroke, sj^mptoms and treatment 108 

Limbs, fractnre of bones, description 278 

Linguatula scrrata of abdominal cavity, description 491 

Lipoma tumor, description and treatment 314 

Lips, contusions, wounds, and snake bites, symptoms and treatment ...... 16 

Liver — 

and gall bladder, parasites affecting, treatment 488 

and spleen, diseases affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment 45-47 

congestion, description, symptoms, and treatment 45 

flukes, description and treatment 489 

inflammation affecting, symptoms and treatment 46 

larval tapeworms affecting 488 

protozoa affecting, note 488 

Lockjaw, reference 108 

Loco weed poisoning, description and treatment 65 

Louse, red ( Trichodectes scalar is) , description and treatment 480 

Lousiness, reference 331 

Lowe, William H. — 

and William Dickson, chapter on ' ' Surgical operations " 285-303 

chapter on " Noncontagious diseases of organs of respiration '" 85-98 

Lump jaw. {See Actinomycosis.) 
Lumpy jaw. (See Actinomycosis.) 
Lung- 
abscess, description 97 

tissue, parasites affecting 492 

Lungs — ■ 

air tubes, parasites affecting, description and treatment 492 

bleeding from , description and treatment 96 

^parasites affecting, note 493 

protozoa affecting, note 492 

Luxations of bones, description and treatment 279 

Lymphatic glands, parasites affecting 491 

Lymphatics — 

description 72 

heart, and blood vessels, diseases, chapter by W. H. Harbaugh 70-80 

Malignant — 

catarrh, description, symptoms, and treatment. 453-456 

edema, description, symptoms, and treatment. 456 

pustule, description 443 

tumors, description 307 

Mammitis— 

contagious, description, prevention, and treatment 234 

simple, description, symptoms, and treatment 231 



518 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 
Mange — 

cgmmon, description and treatment 480 

demodectic , description and treatment 481 

itch, scab, mites, description and treatment 480 

psoroptic, description and treatment 480 

reference 331 

Measly beef, description and prevention 493 

Medicine, use of vegetable poisons, description, symptoms, and treatment. _ 63-67 

Medicines, administration, methods, chapter by Leonard Pearson 9-13 

Menibrana nictitans of eye, description 343 

Meninges, number and functions 101 

Mercury poisoning, symptoms and treatment . 59 

Mesentery, parasites affecting 491 

Metacarpus, fracture, description and treatment 278 

Metastrongi/lus viicrnrus, description and treatment 492 

Metatarsus, fracture, description and treatment 278 

Metritis, causes, symptoins, and treatment 220 

Metroperitonitis, causes symptoms, and treatment 220 

Micrococcus prodigiosus, parasite of bloody milk 239 

Microorganisms, transmission 359 

Milk- 
bloody and blue, cause and treatment 239 

duct, closure and thickening of mucous membrane, cause and treatment. 241 

duct, closure by membrane, description and treatment 242 

effect of different feeds, analyses 252,253 

fever, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

fistula, description and treatment 242 

stringy, cause and treatment 239 

suppression, cause and treatment 238 

Mineral — 

acid poisoning, description and treatment 59 

poisons, description of kinds 56 

Misplacement of heart, description 79 

Mites- 
chicken (Dermanysses gallince) , affecting the ear 482 

description 473 

mange, itch, scab, description and treatment 480 

Mohler, John R.— 

chapter on " Mycotic stomatitis of cattle " 495 

chapter on '• Tumors affecting cattle " 304-319 

Monstrosities in the calf, descriptions, causes, and treatment 179-205 

Moor-ill, description, symptoms, and ti'eatment 117 

Morphia and opium poisoning, description and treatment 63 

Mosquitoes — 

and adult flies, injurious to cattle 477 

and flies, reference 332 

Mouth— 

and pharynx, parasites affecting, treatment 483 

diseases affecting, symptoms and treatment- 16-21 

inflammation of mucous membrane, cause, symptoms, and treatment.. 19 

method of administering medicines. 9 

parasites affecting 492 

ulcers affecting, in young calves, causes, symptoms, and treatment 20 



INDEX. 519 

Pas:e. 

Mucopurulent discharge from passages, symptoms and treatment 219 

Mucous cysts, description and treatment. -.- 319 

Mucous membrane — 

of mouth, inflammation, cause, symptoms, and treatment 19 

thickening and closure of milk duct, cause and treatment. 241 

Murray, A. J. , chapter on • ' Diseases of digestire organs " 14-52 

Muscles — 

connective tissue, parasites affecting 493 

intercostal, rheiTmatism affecting, description and treatment 98 

of calf, rigid contraction , cause and treatment 178 

of the eye, description - - 342 

Mycotic — 

aphthous stomatitis, reference 495 

stomatitis, character, cause, symptoms, lesions, etc - 496 

stomatitis, diagnosis and treatment 498 

stomatitis, of cattle, chapter by John R. Mohler 495-500 

stomatitis, prevalence 495 

stomatitis, synonyms - 495 

Myocarditis, description, symptoms, and treatment 78 

Myoma tumor, description and treatment - - - 310 

Myxoma tiimor, description and treatment 315 

Nagana, description, symptoms, and treatment 471 

Nasal catarrh, description, symptoms, and treatment . 90 

Navel- 
abscess affecting, causes and treatment — 246 

bleeding, cause and treatment - 245 

breach, symptoms and treatment 248 

dropsy, description and treatment 249 

string constricting member of fetus, description — 176 

urine discharged through, desL-ription and treatment 245 

urine duct, inflammation , cause, and treatment 235 

veins, inflammation, description, causes, and treatment 246 

Necrosis — 

and diseases of cartilage of the ear. cause and treatment 356 

of the bony orbit, cause and treatment 352 

Necrotic stomatitis, description, symptoms, and treatment 448-453 

Nematodes, description 473 

Neof ormation . reference -- 304 

Neoplasm, reference 304 

Nephritis, description, causes, symptoms, and treatment 121 

Nerves, description 100 

Nervousness cause of retarding calving 176 

Nervous system, diseases, chapter by W. H. Harbaugh. 99-1 10 

Nettle rash, description, causes, and treatment 324 

Neurofibroma tumor, description and treatment 310 

Nodular disease — 

reference 488 

treatment - 485 

Noncontagious abortion — 

causes 161 

treatment - - - 168 

Noncontagious diseases of organs of respii-ation, chapter by William H. 

. Lowe 85-98 



520 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 

Noninfectious f oot-and-nionth disease, reference ._ 495 

Nose — 

bleeding, cause and treatment - 91 

parasites affecting . 492 

Nostrils, method of administering medicines 12 

Nymphomania in female, cause and treatment 145 

Obstruction — 

of arteries, description and treatment 82 

of bowels, resulting from invagination, causes, symptoms, etc 37 

to parturition, by full bladder or rectum 176 

to parturition, by masses of fat, cause 175 

CEsophagostoma columbianum, parasite causing nodular disease, treatment. 485 

O'idium albicans, parasite causing aphtha, or thrush 259 

Operations — 

asepsis, important - 285 

surgical, chapter by William Dickson 285-303 

surgical, manner of securing the animals 286 

uses of anestliesia .- 285 

Ophthalmia — 

infectious, reference 472 

simple, causes, symptoms, and treatment 344 

specific, symptoms, treatment, and prevention , . - - 344 

verminous, treatment 482 

Opium and morphia poisoning, description and treatment - - 63 

Orbit- 
bony, necrosis affecting, cause and treatment 332 

fracture, cause and treatment 352 

tumors, cause and treatment 352 

Orbital— 

and periorbital abscess, symptoms and treatment 351 

cavity of the eye, description 342 

Orchitis, description and treatment 149 

Oruithodoros Megnin i, treatment 482 

Osteitis, description and treatment 262 

Osteoma, description and treatment - - - 315 

Osteomalacia, description, symptoms, and treatment 2G4 

Osteo-myelitis, description and treatment 263 

Otitis, symptoms and treatment 354 

Ovariotomy, description of the operation 301 

Ovum, inclosed, description and treatment 179 

Ox -warbles, reference 483 

Pains, labor, before relaxation of passages 1~3 

Palpitation of heart, description 74 

Palsy- 
following calving, description and treatment 231 

of neck of bladder, cause and treatment 127 

Pancreas and spleen, parasites affecting, description and treatment 490 

Papillary growths and warts o:i the penis, treatment 152 

Papilloma, description and treatment 313 

Paralysis — 

description 1*^7 

of bladder, causes and treatment - -. 126 



INDEX. 521 

Pase. 

Paralysis — Continued. 

of hind parts during jiregnancy , cause and treatment 159 

of rear parts of body, symptoms and treatment 107 

Paramphistomidip, parasite affecting cattle 484 

Parai)legia, symptoms and treatment 107 

Parasites — 

animal, of cattle, chapter by Ch. Wardell Stiles 47;>-494 

animal, of cattle, litei'ature published by the Department of Agricul; 

ture 473 

of abdominal cavity, kinds 491 

of air tubes of lungs, des'-ription and treatment 492 

of blind gut, or cecum 488 

of blood . kinds 493 

of blocdy milk 239 

of bones, kinds 494 

of brain and spinal column, kinds and treatment 494 

of cattle, recognition 477 

of ear, kinds and treatment 482 

of esophagus, description 483 

of eye , kinds and treatment - _ . 482 

of intestinal tract, kinds and treatment 483 

of kidney and bladder, kinds 491 

of kidney, discussion 135 

of liver and gall bladder, kinds and treatment 488 

of lung, kinds 492, 493 

of lymphatic glands, kinds 491 

of mesentery, kinds 491 

of mouth and pharynx, treatment 483 

of mouth, nose, pharynx, and larynx, kinds. 492 

of muscles, connective tissue, and fat, kinds and treatment 493 

of skin, note . . 477 

of small intestine, kinds and treatment 485 

of spleen and pancreas, description and treatment 490 

of stomach, kinds and treatment 483 

Parasitic cysts, description 317 

Parasitic diseases — 

of cattle, prevention ._ 474 

of the skin 331-333 

rules for treatment 474 

Parotid gland, inflammation, cause, symptoms, and treatment 22 

Parotitis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 22 

Parturient — 

apoplexy, description, symptoms, and treatment .. 222 

collapse, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

Parturition — 

difficult, suggestions for assistant 171 

diseases following, chapter by James Law 210-243 

fever, description, symptoms, and treatment 222 

obstacles, causes 171 

Paunch, distention with food, description and treatment 29 

Pearson, Leonard, chapter on "Administration of medicines "' 9-13 



522 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Pelvis — Page. 

fracture, description and treatment 276 

narrow, fracture, cause of dif&cnlt parturition 175 

Pemphigus, symptoms and treatment 328 

Penis — 

and sheath, inflammation from bruising, prevention and treatment 151 

iilcers affecting, cause and treatment 153 

warts and papillary growths, treatment ... 152 

w6unds, cause and treatment 153 

Percussion, method of examination 90 

Pericarditis, symptoms and treatment 77 

Periorbital and orbital abscess, symptoms and treatment 351 

Periostitis, aseptic, purulent, and fibrous, description and treatment 362 

Peritoneal hernia, description, cause, sj^mptoms, and treatment 43 

Peritoneum, diseases affecting, causes, symptons, and treatment 47-49 

Peritonitis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 47 

Persistent urachus, description and treatment 245 

Pharyngeal polypi , description and treatment 23 

Pharyngitis, symptoms, causes, and treatment 21 

Pharynx — 

and gullet, diseases, description, symptoms, and treatment 21-26 

and mouth, parasites affecting, treatment 483 

Ijarasites affecting 492 

tumors affecting, description and treatment 23 

Phlebitis— 

description and treatment 82 

mbilical, description, symptoms, and treatment 246 

Phosphorus poisoning, symptoms and treatment 59 

Phthiriasis, reference , _ _ ... 331 

Pica, description, causes, and treatment 31 

Pink eye, reference 472 

Piro2)hisma bigemin uvi , protozoon causing Texas fever 493 

Pityriasis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 329 

Plants poisonous , description of poisoning 66 

Pleurisy, description, symptoms, and treatment 93 

Pleurodynia, description and treatment . 98 

Pieuro-pneumonia — 

cause, incubation, and symptoms 367 

definition and history 364 

postmortem appearance 370 

prevention and treatment . 373 

Pneumonia, description, symptoms, and treatment 94 

Pneuothorax, description and treatment 97 

Poison, definition 53 

Poisoning — 

aconite, description and treatment 64 

and poisons, chapter by V. T. Atkinson 53-69 

by acids, descrii)tion and treatment 59 

by alkalies, description and treatment 00 

l)y animal products, description and treatment 67 

by arsenic, description, symptoms, and treatment 56 

by carbolic acid. i''escription and treatment 61 

by coal oil, description and treatment 01 

by copper, description and treatment 58 



INDEX. 523 

Poisoning— Continued. Pago. 

by insects on forage, description 68 

by laurel, description and treatment _ 66 

by lead, description, symptoms, and treatment 57 

by loco weed, description and treatment 65 

by mercury, description, symptoms, and treatment 59 

by phosporus, symptoms and treatment 59 

by poisonous fungi , description 67 

by poisonous plants, description 66 

by salt and saltpeter, description, symptoms, and treatment 62 

by strychnine, description and treatment 64 

general symptoms and treatment 55 

sources 53 

Poisonous — 

fungi, description of poisoning 67 

plants, description of poisoning 66 

Poisons — 

and poisoning, chapter by V. T. Atkinson 53-69 

description of action 54 

dietetic, description 65^ 

mineral, descriptions 56-59 

vegetable, uses as medicine 63-67 

Pohjdesmits excitans, effect on cattle 14 

Polypi, pharyngeal, description and treatment 23 

Polyps, description and treatment 314 

Polyijus of the vagina or uterus, description and treatment _ 153 

Polytrincium trifolii, effect on cattle 15 

Polyuria, causes and treatment ._- 116 

Poverty jaw and scours, caused by twisted wireworm, treatment 484 

Pregnancy — 

cramps of hind limbs during, cause ... 158 

duration 153 

signs 154 

Pregnant cow, hygiene 156 

Prepuce, calculi affecting, treatment 141 

Presentation, natural . 171 

Pricks and wounds of the hoof, treatment 338 

Prolapsus vagiuse, description and treatment .' 158 

Proliferation cysts, description and treatment 319 

Prostration from heat, cause, symptoms, and treatment 105 

Protrusion of the vagina, description and treatment 158 

Protozoa — 

description 473 

definition .~" 358 

in stomach 485 

of bladder, note 491 

of blood, note 493 

of heart muscles, note _ 494 

of liver, note 488 

of lungs, note 493 

of small intestine, kinds 486 

Pruritis, causes and treatment 323 

Pseudoplasm, reference 304 

Psoroptes communis bovis, mite causing common mange 480 



524 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 

Psoroptic mange, description and treatment 480 

Pucinnia arundinacea, P. eoronata, P. graminis, P. straminis, effect on 

cattle 14 

Pidex irvitans, reference- 333 

Pulmonary congestion, treatment 96 

Pulse- 
description 'i'3 

examination 88 

Puncta lachrymalia of tlie eye, description 343 

Puralent periostes , description and treatment --- 263 

Pustule — 

description .- - 448 

description, causes, and treatment - - 327 

Pterygium, description and treatment 349 

Pyemia and septicemia, causes, symptoms, and treatment . 387 

Pyemic and septicemic inflammation of joints in calves, description, symp- 
toms, and treatment 248 

Quarter-ill, description, cause, and treatment 444-448 

Rabies of cattle, description, symptoms, etc 394-397 

Rachitis, description and treatment 264 

Rausclibrand, description, cause, and treatment 444-448 

Rectal injections, uses and methods 11 

Rectum — 

method of administering medicines. 11 

or bladder , full , obstruction to parturition 176 

Red dysentery, description, cause, and treatment 486 

Red water, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

Renal calculi, description and treatment 136 

Rennet, hernia affecting, description and treatment- 40 

Respiration — 

how to examine 87 

organs, noncontagious diseases affecting, chapter by William H. Lowe. 85-98 

organs, methods of diagnosis 85 

Retina of the eye, description -.. 342 

Rheumatism — 

articular and muscular, symptoms, prevention, and treatment 283 

of intercostal muscles, description and treatment 98 

Ribs, fracture, cause and treatment 278 

Rickets — 

description and treatment 264 

in young calves, description and treatment 260 

Rinderpest, description, cause, symptoms, etc - - . 375-380 

Ringing the bull, description 287 

Ringworm, description, symptoms, and treatment . . 332 

Roimdworm {Gnathostoma Jiispidum) of stomach of hog 494 

Roundworms — 

description — ..- 473 

of eye, treatment -.. - 482 

of intestine, kinds and treatment 485 

of larynx -- 492 

of stomach, description 483 

of stomach (Sti^ongijlus filocollis, S. retortceformis, S. Harkeri, S. 

oncox)liorus, S. Curticei) treatment 484 



INDEX. 525 

Page. 
Roundworms — Continued. 

referenc3 494 

{Spiroptcra reticulata) in pancreas, note 491 

{Synganus laryngeus) in larynx _.. 492 

Rumen — 

distention with food, descriptiou and treatment 29 

hernia, description and cause 39 

puncturing, description 293 

Rumenotomy , description 293 

Rupture — 

of bladder, symptoms 214 

of heart, description 79 

of womb, cause and treatment 215 

Ruptures — 

and lacerations of the vagina, description and treatment 215 

description and cause . 39 

SaccJi((i'onii/ccs albicans, parasite of aphtha, or thrush 260 

Salivation, cause, symptoms, and treatment 17 

Salmon, D. E., and Theobald Smith, chapter on "Infectious diseases of 

cattle'" 3o7-472 

Salt, common, poisoning, description, symptoms, and treatment 62 

Saltpeter poisoning, description, symptoms, and treatment 62 

Sarcoma tumor, description and treatment 315 

Sarcojjsylla x>enetrans — 

note 480 

reference 332 

Sarcoptcs scabiei, mite causing sarcoptic mange 481 

Sarcoptic mange, description and treatment 481 

Sarcosporidiida, ijrotozoa of heart muscles 494 

Satyriasis in male, cause and treatment 145 

Scab, mites, mange, itch, description of kinds and treatment 480 

Scabby teats, treatment 240 

Scabies, reference 331 

Scalds and burns, causes and treatment 333 

Sell isfosoma &or?s, cause of bloody urine 493 

Scleroderma, description 329 

Sclerotic membrane of eye, description 341 

Scouring — 

acute contagious, in newborn calves, description, prevention, and treat- 
ment 257 

causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment 2~)l-257 

Scours — 

and poverty jaw, caused by twisted wireworm, treatment 484 

causes, symptoms, and treatment . 34 

white, of calves 472 

Screwworms — ■ 

description and remedy 479 

note 478 

Scurf, causes, symptoms, and treatment 329 

Scurfy ears, cause and treatment 355 

Sebaceous — 

and dermoid cysts, description and treatment 330 

glands, location 321 



526 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Pag©. 

Seborrhea, causes, symptoms, and treatment 339 

Secretions, how to examine 97 

Septicemia — 

and pj-emia, causes, symptoms, and treatment 387 

gangrenous, description, symptoms, and treatment 456 

hemorrhagic, causes, symptoms, etc 389-392 

Septicemic aiid pyemic inflammation of joints in calves, description, 

symptoms, and treatment 248 

Serous cysts, description and treatment 318 

Setoning, description and use 291 

Sheath — 

and x)enis, inflammation from bruising, prevention and treatment 151 

calculi affecting, treatment- 141 

inflammation, causes and treatment 149 

Shoulder joint, sprain, causes and treatment 266 

Shnnlinm — 

meridionale of cattle, reference 477 

pecuamm, reference . 332 

pecuarum and S. oecidentale, reference 477 

Skeleton, number of bones 261 

Skin- 
description 320 

diseases, chapter by M. R. Trumbower 320-334 

gas or air under, symptoms and treatment 333 

glands, location and use -.. 321 

gru.bs affecting 331 

inflammatory diseases, causes and treatment 323 

method of administering medicines 12 

parasites affecting 477 

secretions and growths, description, causes, and treatment 329-331 

wounds, kinds, description, and treatment 338, 334 

Skull, fracture, description and treatment 275 

Slinking the calf, description 161 

Smith, Theobald, and D. E. Salmon, chapter on "Infectious diseases of 

cattle" 357-472 

Snake bites — 

and wounds of mouth, symptoms and treatment 16 

description, symptoms, and treatment 67 

reference 333 

Sore — 

mouth of cattle , reference , 495 

throat, cause and treatment . 21 , 91 

tongue, reference 495 

Soreness of the foot, description and treatment 335 

Southern cattle fever, description, symptoms , etc 458-471 

Spanish-fly jjoisoning, description and treatment 69 

Spasm of the neck of the bladder, description and treatment . . 125 

Spavin, symptoms and treatment- 281 

Spaying, description of operation 301 

Spiral — 

canal and brain cavity, grubs affecting 494 

cohTmn and brain, i)arasites affecting, treatment 494 

column, fracture, description and treatment 275 



INDEX. 527 

^ Page, 
Spinal — Continued. 

cord, description — - 100 

cord, congestion, description, symptoms, and treatment 107 

cord, injuries, description — 107 

Spinose ear tick, treatment. 482 

Spiropteru reticulata in pancreas, note 491 

Spleen — 

and liver, diseases, causes, symptoms, and treatment 45-47 

and pancreas, parasites affecting, description and treatment 490 

inflammation, description 47 

Splenetic fever, description, symptoms, etc 458-471 

Splenitis, description 47 

Split hoof, description and treatment 338 

Sporadic — 

aphtha?, reference 495 

stomatitis aphthosa, reference 495 

Sprain — 

of fetlock, causes and treatment 266 

of hip, cause and treatment 267 

of shoulder joint, causes and treatment 266 

Sprains, description and treatment 265 

Squinting, description 349 

Stable flies {Stomoxys calcitrans) , affecting cattle 477 

Staggers, causes, symptoms, and treatment 101 

Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus and S. pjyocfenes citreiis, bacteria of abscess. 285 

Staphyloma, description, symptoms, and treatment 347 

Sterility, causes 147 

Stiles. Ch. Warden, chapter on "Animal parasites of cattle " 473-494 

Stings— 

of wasps and bees, description and treatment 68 

venomous, refei'ence 333 

Stomach — 

diseases affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment 26-36 

fourth, affected with hernia, descrif)tion and treatment 40 

method of administering medicines 11 

parasites affecting, ti'eatment 483 

roundworms affecting . 483 

traiimatic inflammation, cause, symptoms, and treatment 38 

worm, encysted, description and treatment 483 

worms, different kinds affecting 484 

Stomatitis — 

cause, symptoms, and treatment 19 

mycotic. (.S'ee Mycotic stomatitis.) 

necrotic, description, symptoms, treatment, etc 448-453 

ulcerative, causes, symptoms, and treatment 20 

Stomoxys calcitrans affecting cattle 477 

Stone — 

description and causes . 128 

effect of different feeds 130 

in bladder, symptoms and treatmeiit 139 

in kidney, description and treatment 136 

or full bladder or rectum, obstructions to parturition 176 

Strabismus, description. 349 



528 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

♦ Page. 

Streptococcus pyogenes, bacteria of abscess _ 235 

String, navel, constriction of member of fetus, description 176 

Stringy milk, cause and treatment 239 

Strongylus — 

Curticei, reference 484 

Jilicollis:, reference 484 

giant kidney worms 491 

Harkeri, treatment 484 

micrurus, parasite of verminous bronchitis 97 

oneophorns, treatment 484 

retortceformis, treatment 484 

Struma, cause, description, symptoms, and treatment 311 

Strychnine poisoning, description and treatment 64 

Sudorific glands, location and use 321 

Sugar in urine, description 120 

Sunstroke, cause, symptoms, and treatment 105 

Suppression of milk, cause and treatment 238 

Surfeit, description, causes, and treatment 324 

Surgery, discussion 285 

Surgical operations — 

asepsis, important -' .' 285 

chapter by William Dickson and William H. Lowe 285-303 

manner of securing the animals during 286 

uses of anesthesia 285 

Sweat glands, location and use 321 

Swelling — 

of calf with gas, cause and treatment 178 

reference . . _ 304 

Symptomatic anthrax, description, cause, and treatment 444-448 

Synganus laryngeus in larynx 492 

Tabanus atratus of cattle 477 

Tapeworms — 

adult, of small intestine, species and remedy 486 

adult, description _ . 473 

larval, description 473 

larval, description and treatment - 488 

larval, in spleen and j)ancreas, note 491 

larval, of bones, reference 494 

larval, of liver, note 488 

Tarsus, fracture, description and treatment 278 

Teat- 
blocked by warty or other growth inside, description and treatment. . . 241 

Oldening in the side, description and treatment . 242 

Teats- 
blocked by calculus, treatment 241 

blocked by concretion of casein, cause and treatment 240 

chapped, cause and treatment 240 

scabby, treatment 240 

warts affecting, treatment - - - - 240 

Teeth- 
caries, description 18 

irregularities, cause and treatment 18 

Temperature, how to examine 88 



INDEX. 529 

Page, 

Testicles, congestion and inflammation, description and treatment 149 

Tetanns, reference 108 

Texas fever — 

caused by protozoon {Piroplasma bigeminum) - 493 

description, symptoms, etc 458-471 

immunization of Northern cattle -. 148 

sanitary regulations 470 

Threadworms — 

description . . - '. 473 

of bronchial tubes, treatment 493 

of esophagus 483 

of eye, treatment 483 

of lungs 498 

of lymphatic glands 491 

Throat, sore, symptoms, causes, and treatment 31 

Thrombosis, description and symptoms. . 83 

Thrush— ' 

in young calves, description and treatment 259 

parasite {Saccliaromyces ablicans) , cause 260 

Ticks- 
affecting the ear 483 

descrii)tion 473 

Ixodes, reference ... 333 

species 481 

Tillctia caries in wheat, effect on cattle _ _ . . . . 14 

Tinea — 

favosa, description, symptoms, and treatment 333 

tosurans, description, symptoms, and 1;reatment 333 

Tongue — 

induration, symptoms and treatment . 31 

sore, reference 495 

worms, description 473 

worms in abdominal cavity and mesenteric glands, description 491 

Trachea, method of administering medicines 13 

Tracheotomy, description 393 

Traumatic inflammation of the stomach, cause, symptoms, and treatment. . 36 

Trematodes, description 473 

Trichiasis, treatment 349 

Trichinella spiralis, parasite causing trichiniasis 494 

Trichiniasis caused by parasite Trichinella spiralis 494 

Trichodectes scalaris, description and treatment 480 

Trichoplytou tonsurans, fungus causing Tinea tonsurans 333 

Trumbower, M. R. — 

chapter on " Diseases of the ear '" 354-356 

chapter on ' ' Diseases of the eye and its appendages " 340-353 

chapter on " Diseases of the foot " 335-339 

chapter on "Diseases of the skin" 330-334 

Trypanosoma Brucei, cause of nagana, or tsetse fly disease 471 

Tsetse fly disease, description, symptoms, and treatment 471 

Tuberculosis — 

cause and treatment 403 

occurrence. 398 

8367—04 84 



530 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Tiiberculosis — Continued. Page. 

statistics of tests in United States 401 

symptoms and diagnosis 407 

treatment 415-435 

Tumor — 

bony, descrijjtion and treatment 315 

chrondroma , description and treatment 314 

fibroma, description and treatment r 313 

hairy, on eyeball, description and treatment 349 

lipoma, description and treatment 314 

malignant and benign, description 307 

sarcoma, description and treatment •. _ 315 

Tumors — 

affecting cattle, chapter by John R. Mohler 304-319 

and cysts, description 308 

classification 806 

description 304 

description of kinds 310 

diagnosis . 309 

definition and description -_. .-. 304 

general treatment 309 

of calf, description and treatment 179 

of eyelids, description and treatment . _ . I 350 

of kidney, description 135 

of orbit, cause and treatment ... 353 

of pharynx, description and treatment 33 

on the brain, description 110 

Turkey g-nats of cattle (Siviidium meridionale) , reference 477 

Turpentine poisoning, symptoms and treatment 65 

Twisted wire worms, description and treatment 484 

Twisting — 

and knotting of the bowels, causes, symptoms, postmortem appearance, 

and treatment - 37 

of the neck of the womb, description and treatment 174 

Tympanites — 

acute, causes, symptoms, and treatment - 36, 33 

chronic, causes and treatment 38 

Udder- 
congestion, description and treatment 331 

contagious inflammation affecting, description, prevention, and treat- 
ment . 334 

inflammation, description, symptoms, and treatment 331 

method of administering medicines 11 

Ulceration of the heel, causes and treatment 337 

Ulcerative stomatitis, causes, symptoms, and treatment 30 

Ulcers — 

in mouths of young calves, causes, symptoms, and treatment 30 

of cornea, cause, symptoms, and treatment 346 

on penis, cause and treatment 153 

Umbilical — 

hernia, description, causes, and treatment 41 

hernia, sym^ptoms and treatment 248 

phlebitis, description, causes and treatment 246 



INDEX. 531 

lirachiis— Page. 

inflammation, causes, and treatment __ 245 

persistent, desci-iption and treatment .' 245 

Ureteral calculi, description and treatment ._ 136 

Urethra, inflammation affecting, description and treatment 152 

Urethral calcnlns, symptoms and treatment . 189 

ITrinary — 

calciili, causes 188 

calculi, classification 184 

calculi, description and causes _ 128 

calculi, effect of different feeds __. 130 

disorders, symptoms 116 

or!j;aus, diseases, chapter by James Law _ 111-143 

organs, functions 111 

Urine — 

albumen in, description and treatment 119 

. amount passed daily 114 

analyses under different rations 113 

bloody, caused by blood flukes 493 

bloody, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

discharged through navel, description and treatment 245 

excessive secretion, cause and treatment'. 116 

incontinence, cause and treatment . . 127 

of cow, analysis 112 

of ox, analysis 113 

retention, effect, cause, and treatment 125 

sugar in, description 120 

Uterus — 

hernia affecting, cause and treatment 158 

polypus affecting, description and treatment 153 

Urticaria, description, causes and treatment 824 

Vagina- 
clots of blood on walls, description and treatment 216 

inflammation, causes and treatment 219 

lacei-ations and ruijtiire, description and treatment 215 

method of administering medicines 11 

polypus affecting, description and treatment 153 

protrusion , description and treatment 158 

Vagime prolapsus, description and treatment 158 

Vaginal walls, affected with coagulated blood after calving, treatment 176 

Vaginitis, causes and treatment _ _ 219 

Valves of heart, diseases affecting, symjitoms and treatment 78 

Variola, description, symptoms, and treatment - 425 

Vegetable — 

acids, poisoning, description and treatment 60 

poisons as a medicine, description, symptoms, and treatment 63-67 

poisons, note 63 

Veins — 

and arteries , wounds , description and treatment ... 80 

inflammation, description and treatment 82 

Venereal desire — 

diminution or loss, cause, preventive, and treatment 146 

excess, cause and treatment 145 



582 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Page. 

Venomous stings, reference 333 

Ventral hernia, description and causes _ . 39 

Verminous — 

bronchitis, cause and treatment 493 

bronchitis, description, symptoms, and prevention 97 

ophthalmia, caused by roundworms, treatment 483 

Verruca — 

acuminata and verruca vulgaris, description 330 

description, causes, and treatment 330 

Vertebra, fracture, description and treatment 375 

Vesical calculus, symptoms and treatment 139 

Vesicular — 

eruption of genital organs, description, symptoms, and treatment 393 

exanthema, symptoms and treatment 393 

Vitreous humor of the eye, description 343 

Vomiting, symptoms, cause, and treatment 30 

Wall of hoof, fissure, description and treatment 338 

Warbles — 

description and treatment 478 

note 478 

ox, reference 483 

reference 331 

Warts— 

and papillary growths on the penis, treatment 153 

description and treatment 313 

description, causes, and treatment 330 

on the teats, treatment 340 

Wasp and bee stings, description and treatment 68 

Water — 

blisters, symptoms and treatment -- 338 

cold, drinking, a cause of indigestion, symptoms and treatment 33 

in the head of calf, description and treatment 176 

Wens, descriiition and treatment - 330 

Whipworms of the blind gut, or cecum 488 

White scour of calves 473 

Wire worm , twisted , description and treatment 484 

Withers, casting, cause and treatment 311 

Womb — 

and abdomen, inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment 330 

bleeding from, description, symptoms, and treatment 310 

dropsy, description and treatment 159 

aversion, cause and treatment 311 

fetus developing outside, description and treatment 159 

inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment 330 

mouth, induration, description and treatment 173 

rupture, cause and treatment 315 

twisting of neck, description and treatment - 174 

Wooden tongue. (See Actinomycosis.) 

Wood-ill, description, symptoms, and treatment 117 

Worm — 

encysted stomach, description and treatment 483 

in the eye, description and treatment 348 



INDEX. 533 

Page. 
Worms — 

giant kidney, treatment 491 

intestinal , reference 39 

of the bladder, description • 473, 488, 489 

of the tongue, description 473 

Wounds — 

and injuries of the gullet, description and treatment 26 

and pricks of the hoof, treatment 338 

contused and lacerated, description and treatment 297 

contusions of the lips, and snake bites of mouth, description and treat- 
ment 10 

healing, treatment and dressing, description 298 

incised, description and treatment 295 

incised, punctured, and lacerated, description and treatment 294 

of abdomen, causes, symptoms, and treatment 45 

of arteries and veins, description and treatment 80 

of mouth, snake bites and contusions of lips, treatment 16 

of i^enis, cause and treatment .. 153 

of skin, kinds, description and treatment 3')3, 334 

Yellows, description, symptoms, and treatment. 45 

Zinc poisoning, description and treatment - - . 58 



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